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 Malta and from Cairo.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 2001 at the first Tiga practice in a loft in Montreal.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Oneida to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Colin Newman. All the underground hits.
All Aural Exciters tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Selector Dub Narcotic record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a London Community Gospel Choir record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Cosmic Jokers,
Laurel Aitken,
Duran Duran,
the Germs,
Funky Four + One,
Talk Talk,
Suicide,
Ultimate Spinach,
Royal Trux,
Yazoo,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
UT,
Jerry's Kids,
Eli Mardock,
Icehouse,
Dark Day,
Panda Bear,
The Litter,
John Lydon,
Shoche,
The Sonics,
Sparks,
Pantaleimon,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Liliput,
Gang Green,
Moebius,
Grauzone,
The Fuzztones,
The Busters,
Avey Tare,
Ultravox,
Scratch Acid,
Chris Corsano,
Lightning Bolt,
Lebanon Hanover,
Mo-Dettes,
Gil Scott Heron,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The American Breed,
Wolf Eyes,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
OOIOO,
Quantec,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Mojo Men,
Colin Newman,
The Birthday Party,
Sexual Harrassment,
Scientists,
In Retrospect,
The Remains,
Franke,
Sam Rivers,
Jawbox,
Buzzcocks,
Quadrant, Quadrant, Quadrant, Quadrant.
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.