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 Malta and from Accra.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Seoul.
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 1978 at the first Visage practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Bronski Beat to the crunk 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 American Breed. All the underground hits.
All The Star Department tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every T. Rex 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Byron Stingily record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eyeless In Gaza,
Danielle Patucci,
Animal Collective,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Robert Wyatt,
Jacques Brel,
Grandmaster Flash,
The New Christs,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Ultravox,
Marshall Jefferson,
Infiniti,
Maurizio,
Cal Tjader,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Michelle Simonal,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Mummies,
Suburban Knight,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Index,
Pantaleimon,
Soul II Soul,
Soft Machine,
Todd Rundgren,
Ohio Players,
The Happenings,
Minor Threat,
Radio Birdman,
The Pretty Things,
ABBA,
Donny Hathaway,
Cybotron,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Bootsy Collins,
Ken Boothe,
Robert Görl,
Brand Nubian,
Supertramp,
Grauzone,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Skriet,
Gil Scott Heron,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Modern Lovers,
Lalo Schifrin,
Livin' Joy,
The Litter,
Organ,
Juan Atkins,
Anthony Braxton,
Excepter,
Bill Near,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Swans,
Peter & Gordon,
Lou Christie,
A Certain Ratio,
The Misunderstood,
Hot Snakes,
Ronan,
Carl Craig, Carl Craig, Carl Craig, Carl Craig.
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.