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 Namibia 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 1964 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Erasure to the electroclash 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 Pulsallama. All the underground hits.
All Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sarah Menescal record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Isaac Hayes record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Vladislav Delay,
Yusef Lateef,
Mad Mike,
Procol Harum,
The Sonics,
Crooked Eye,
Eric B and Rakim,
Tropical Tobacco,
New Order,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Agent Orange,
New Age Steppers,
Soul Sonic Force,
Dorothy Ashby,
Danielle Patucci,
Tomorrow,
The Busters,
Matthew Halsall,
Roxette,
Young Marble Giants,
Peter and Kerry,
Glenn Branca,
Mantronix,
a-ha,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Pretty Things,
Blancmange,
Frankie Knuckles,
Deepchord,
Man Parrish,
L. Decosne,
Freddie Wadling,
Gang Starr,
Kurtis Blow,
Howard Jones,
8 Eyed Spy,
Kas Product,
Shuggie Otis,
The Gories,
Neil Young,
Vainqueur,
June Days,
T. Rex,
AZ,
Boredoms,
kango's stein massive,
Organ,
DJ Sneak,
Desert Stars,
Moebius,
Ronan,
Infiniti,
The Associates,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Black Flag,
Wire,
Motorama,
Marc Almond,
ABC,
The United States of America,
The Doors,
Monks,
Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman.
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.