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 Thailand and from Portland.
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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Matthew Bourne to the grime kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Five Americans. All the underground hits.
All La Düsseldorf tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pole 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 theremin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Frankie Knuckles record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Delon & Dalcan,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Fatback Band,
Moebius,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Birthday Party,
Henry Cow,
Prince Buster,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Saccharine Trust,
The Mummies,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Severed Heads,
Joensuu 1685,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
K-Klass,
Black Flag,
Big Daddy Kane,
Jandek,
Brand Nubian,
Monolake,
The Raincoats,
The American Breed,
Wasted Youth,
One Last Wish,
Clear Light,
Dark Day,
The Selecter,
Kevin Saunderson,
Alton Ellis,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
The Monks,
John Holt,
Stetsasonic,
Slick Rick,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Techniques,
Darondo,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
LL Cool J,
Bang On A Can,
Lindisfarne,
Y Pants,
Metal Thangz,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Swans,
Make Up,
Pharoah Sanders,
Mandrill,
Lucky Dragons,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Organ,
The Sound,
Lungfish,
U.S. Maple,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Monochrome Set,
The Star Department,
Zapp, Zapp, Zapp, Zapp.
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.