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 Togo and from Delhi.
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 1962 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Curtis Mayfield to the rap kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 AZ. All the underground hits.
All Warsaw tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Max Romeo 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sunsets and Hearts record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Rhythm & Sound,
Whodini,
The Selecter,
Todd Rundgren,
Heaven 17,
Henry Cow,
Sister Nancy,
Gichy Dan,
Cameo,
Banda Bassotti,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Mandrill,
June of 44,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Niagra,
The Saints,
Shoche,
Wally Richardson,
Rekid,
Suicide,
The Star Department,
cv313,
The Slackers,
Qualms,
Chris Corsano,
Easy Going,
Minny Pops,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Sight & Sound,
Joey Negro,
Avey Tare,
Jeff Mills,
The Gories,
Robert Wyatt,
Main Source,
the Human League,
Con Funk Shun,
Dead Boys,
Maleditus Sound,
The Zeros,
Zapp,
Black Flag,
Magma,
Eddi Front,
Severed Heads,
PIL,
Blossom Toes,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Anakelly,
Bauhaus,
David Bowie,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Cal Tjader,
Panda Bear,
A Flock of Seagulls,
10cc,
Reuben Wilson,
Brand Nubian,
Wire,
The Victims,
Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway.
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.