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 Lesotho and from Cairo.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Buckinghams to the grime kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Scion. All the underground hits.
All Echospace tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Arcadia record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 linndrum and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
June Days,
This Heat,
The Zeros,
Essential Logic,
Rekid,
Tears for Fears,
Be Bop Deluxe,
ABBA,
Animal Collective,
a-ha,
Unwound,
Graham Central Station,
Camberwell Now,
Kas Product,
John Lydon,
Mary Jane Girls,
Surgeon,
Dave Gahan,
The Doobie Brothers,
Qualms,
Isaac Hayes,
Monks,
Todd Terry,
Eric B and Rakim,
Mr. Review,
Nas,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Duran Duran,
MDC,
T. Rex,
Alison Limerick,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Jeff Lynne,
The Mojo Men,
A Certain Ratio,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Goldenarms,
Curtis Mayfield,
Peter and Kerry,
Kerrie Biddell,
Eve St. Jones,
Pet Shop Boys,
Pere Ubu,
The Saints,
Cecil Taylor,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Hardrive,
In Retrospect,
the Association,
Skriet,
Liliput,
Big Daddy Kane,
Audionom,
Rotary Connection,
Radio Birdman,
Scratch Acid,
Marmalade,
Section 25,
Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis.
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.