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 Namibia and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Electric Light Orchestra to the disco kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 The Real Kids. All the underground hits.
All Gang Gang Dance tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ajijia Myrayebe 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Das Ding record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ponytail,
The Fortunes,
Byron Stingily,
Terry Callier,
Dorothy Ashby,
Saccharine Trust,
Wolf Eyes,
Index,
Pantytec,
Arcadia,
Symarip,
Underground Resistance,
The Motions,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Tomorrow,
Groovy Waters,
Sparks,
Jeru the Damaja,
Pulsallama,
Glambeats Corp.,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Kurtis Blow,
The Toasters,
F. McDonald,
The Dirtbombs,
David Axelrod,
The Sound,
Sam Rivers,
the Sonics,
Buzzcocks,
Heaven 17,
Minny Pops,
The Real Kids,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
LL Cool J,
Bob Dylan,
The Sonics,
Matthew Bourne,
The Durutti Column,
Fad Gadget,
Alton Ellis,
Cheater Slicks,
Rotary Connection,
Guru Guru,
Freddie Wadling,
In Retrospect,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Cramps,
Grauzone,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Visage,
World's Most,
Masters at Work,
Peter and Kerry,
Marshall Jefferson,
Danielle Patucci,
Joensuu 1685,
Depeche Mode,
Nas,
Neil Young,
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, Panda Bear.
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.