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 Nigeria and from Madrid.
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 1969 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1987 at the first Nirvana practice in a loft in Seattle.
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 Judy Mowatt 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 Rosa Yemen. All the underground hits.
All Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cheater Slicks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Angels of Light & Akron/Family record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gang Starr,
the Swans,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Juan Atkins,
Idris Muhammad,
The Buckinghams,
The Human League,
Traffic Nightmare,
The United States of America,
the Fania All-Stars,
Colin Newman,
Ten City,
Babytalk,
John Foxx,
Nik Kershaw,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Pantytec,
Talk Talk,
Curtis Mayfield,
Avey Tare,
Marine Girls,
Jimmy McGriff,
Arthur Verocai,
The Sonics,
Lindisfarne,
Black Moon,
Lee Hazlewood,
Kevin Saunderson,
Popol Vuh,
The Monochrome Set,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
The Dirtbombs,
Sexual Harrassment,
Grey Daturas,
Anthony Braxton,
Amon Düül II,
Matthew Bourne,
Joensuu 1685,
Average White Band,
Graham Central Station,
Danielle Patucci,
Yaz,
Dead Boys,
Minny Pops,
New York Dolls,
Bobbi Humphrey,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
FM Einheit,
John Lydon,
Mantronix,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Pharoah Sanders,
Crooked Eye,
L. Decosne,
The Cramps,
Can,
Ultra Naté,
DJ Style,
Rhythm & Sound,
Q and Not U,
Masters at Work,
Lebanon Hanover,
Erykah Badu,
David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.
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.