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 Philippines and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 chamberlin 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 The Doobie Brothers to the punk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Bobby Byrd. All the underground hits.
All Wire tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Swans record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Selector Dub Narcotic record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Robert Wyatt,
Angry Samoans,
La Düsseldorf,
Rufus Thomas,
Ohio Players,
Eden Ahbez,
Visage,
The Techniques,
Black Flag,
Easy Going,
The Blues Magoos,
The Velvet Underground,
Nik Kershaw,
The Moleskins,
L. Decosne,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Gun Club,
Minutemen,
Blancmange,
Camouflage,
Wally Richardson,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
The Mojo Men,
The Star Department,
Rapeman,
Fela Kuti,
Monks,
Tubeway Army,
Nick Fraelich,
Fat Boys,
Derrick May,
Pharoah Sanders,
Glenn Branca,
Boz Scaggs,
Shuggie Otis,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Absolute Body Control,
The Grass Roots,
Dead Boys,
Warren Ellis,
Unwound,
June of 44,
The Modern Lovers,
Yusef Lateef,
Basic Channel,
Alison Limerick,
Todd Rundgren,
The Mummies,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
The Selecter,
Graham Central Station,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
New Age Steppers,
Chris & Cosey,
Sun Ra,
Spoonie Gee,
Icehouse,
Wire,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Kevin Saunderson,
Babytalk,
Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry, Pierre Henry.
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.