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 Malawi and from Glasgow.
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 1968 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Infiniti to the punk 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 Mo-Dettes. All the underground hits.
All Eli Mardock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Soul II Soul record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Derrick Morgan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eric B and Rakim,
Mary Jane Girls,
Marine Girls,
Marvin Gaye,
JFA,
Thompson Twins,
Lyres,
Newcleus,
Eric Dolphy,
Ten City,
Lungfish,
Letta Mbulu,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Infiniti,
Urselle,
Section 25,
Trumans Water,
Joe Smooth,
Skarface,
Matthew Bourne,
Marmalade,
The Trojans,
Skaos,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Blake Baxter,
Ohio Players,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Royal Trux,
Masters at Work,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Zeros,
Whodini,
Big Daddy Kane,
Television,
Depeche Mode,
Janne Schatter,
Public Enemy,
Inner City,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Dark Day,
The American Breed,
Donny Hathaway,
Connie Case,
The Vogues,
PIL,
Malaria!,
Wolf Eyes,
Tubeway Army,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Shadows of Knight,
Saccharine Trust,
The Fugs,
The Sound,
Bobby Byrd,
These Immortal Souls,
Moby Grape,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Gong,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Alison Limerick,
Susan Cadogan, Susan Cadogan, Susan Cadogan, Susan Cadogan.
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.