Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Vanuatu and from Halifax.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Wolf Eyes to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Wire. All the underground hits.
All Wally Richardson tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Grauzone record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mark Hollis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Laurel Aitken,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
L. Decosne,
Josef K,
Au Pairs,
Con Funk Shun,
London Community Gospel Choir,
The J.B.'s,
The Dave Clark Five,
Fat Boys,
Bang On A Can,
Alton Ellis,
Trumans Water,
Bluetip,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
June Days,
The Leaves,
Tim Buckley,
Joe Finger,
Tom Boy,
Throbbing Gristle,
Black Pus,
Brand Nubian,
Nirvana,
Marmalade,
Funkadelic,
The Martian,
Warren Ellis,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Fugazi,
Anthony Braxton,
Dave Gahan,
Moebius,
Aswad,
Zapp,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
X-Ray Spex,
The Cramps,
Pharoah Sanders,
Avey Tare,
Piero Umiliani,
Brothers Johnson,
Erykah Badu,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Minor Threat,
H. Thieme,
Eden Ahbez,
Dark Day,
Anakelly,
Reuben Wilson,
The Electric Prunes,
Ituana,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Absolute Body Control,
Black Flag,
Radio Birdman,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Scan 7,
Schoolly D, Schoolly D, Schoolly D, Schoolly D.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.