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 Zimbabwe and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Copenhagen 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Ten City to the jazz 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 Arcadia. All the underground hits.
All EPMD tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cybotron 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Hashim record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Los Fastidios,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
AZ,
Groovy Waters,
EPMD,
Minor Threat,
Intrusion,
Don Cherry,
John Coltrane,
Au Pairs,
Lalann,
Maleditus Sound,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Tubeway Army,
The Litter,
the Germs,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Slave,
The Evens,
Quantec,
The American Breed,
The Dead C,
Country Teasers,
Terry Callier,
Outsiders,
Ronnie Foster,
Sex Pistols,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Wake,
Eric Dolphy,
Arab on Radar,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
A Certain Ratio,
Josef K,
Soul Sonic Force,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Pierre Henry,
Jeff Mills,
New York Dolls,
Simply Red,
Trumans Water,
The Gap Band,
Quando Quango,
Section 25,
Buzzcocks,
Lyres,
The Fire Engines,
X-Ray Spex,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Funky Four + One,
Crispian St. Peters,
Pet Shop Boys,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Skaos,
the Bar-Kays,
Q65,
10cc,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Johnny Osbourne,
Fatback Band,
Marshall Jefferson,
Lucky Dragons,
Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton.
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.