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 Bhutan and from Madrid.
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 1966 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 1976 at the first Chic practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the theremin 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 The Standells to the disco 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 Duran Duran. All the underground hits.
All T. Rex tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kayak 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Von Mondo record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Basic Channel,
Ultravox,
Lightning Bolt,
Altered Images,
Fear,
Lee Hazlewood,
Max Romeo,
Charles Mingus,
Neil Young,
James White and The Blacks,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Black Pus,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Smiths,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Fuzztones,
The Raincoats,
Pulsallama,
Bob Dylan,
Cymande,
Magma,
Fugazi,
Television Personalities,
The Velvet Underground,
Absolute Body Control,
Ludus,
the Swans,
Chris & Cosey,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Glambeats Corp.,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Nils Olav,
Arthur Verocai,
Mad Mike,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Moleskins,
Wire,
Warren Ellis,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Erykah Badu,
Brothers Johnson,
The Fire Engines,
Young Marble Giants,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Das Ding,
U.S. Maple,
a-ha,
Electric Prunes,
Black Flag,
Althea and Donna,
the Normal,
Swans,
Cal Tjader,
PIL,
Mo-Dettes,
ABC,
Y Pants,
The Trojans,
Ken Boothe,
E-Dancer,
Byron Stingily,
June Days, June Days, June Days, June Days.
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.