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 Colombia and from Mexico City.
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 1960 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Jawbox to the dance 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 Birthday Party. All the underground hits.
All Archie Shepp tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Move record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Blues Magoos,
Suburban Knight,
Yaz,
Blossom Toes,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
The Birthday Party,
Jandek,
Slave,
Lightning Bolt,
The Modern Lovers,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Eric Copeland,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Fear,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Dennis Brown,
Babytalk,
Gastr Del Sol,
Flipper,
Lou Reed,
Maurizio,
The Five Americans,
Ornette Coleman,
Joy Division,
Lee Hazlewood,
Man Parrish,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Associates,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Peter & Gordon,
Scion,
Index,
Gang Gang Dance,
Neil Young,
OOIOO,
JFA,
Electric Prunes,
D'Angelo,
T.S.O.L.,
Man Eating Sloth,
Drive Like Jehu,
Mad Mike,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Grauzone,
Banda Bassotti,
These Immortal Souls,
The Moleskins,
MC5,
Spoonie Gee,
Schoolly D,
Magma,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Juan Atkins,
The Offenders,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Sällskapet,
The Flesh Eaters, The Flesh Eaters, The Flesh Eaters, The Flesh Eaters.
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.