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 Norway and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Ohio Players to the grime kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Donald Byrd. All the underground hits.
All Desert Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Associates record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rakim record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jandek,
Don Cherry,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Offenders,
Judy Mowatt,
Albert Ayler,
DJ Sneak,
The Golliwogs,
Joensuu 1685,
The Gladiators,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Beau Brummels,
Bill Near,
Harpers Bizarre,
Letta Mbulu,
Gil Scott Heron,
Symarip,
Hashim,
Dorothy Ashby,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Smog,
Ossler,
The Busters,
Surgeon,
Iggy Pop,
Ken Boothe,
The Motions,
Lalann,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Flesh Eaters,
Interpol,
New Age Steppers,
The Vogues,
the Fania All-Stars,
Ultravox,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Intrusion,
Gang of Four,
Ituana,
The Kinks,
Deadbeat,
Slave,
Skriet,
Pole,
MDC,
The Remains,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Sound,
Avey Tare,
Pere Ubu,
Rotary Connection,
Faust,
Chrome,
Josef K,
The Pop Group,
Hasil Adkins,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Howard Jones,
Con Funk Shun,
Kenny Larkin,
Alice Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Alice Coltrane.
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.