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 Uzbekistan and from Stockholm.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Metal Thangz to the rock kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Altered Images. All the underground hits.
All The Fortunes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Johnny Osbourne 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joe Smooth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Das Ding,
The Last Poets,
X-101,
The Invisible,
Popol Vuh,
Index,
Howard Jones,
Thompson Twins,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Stooges,
Rod Modell,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Roxette,
Soul Sonic Force,
Radiohead,
Barbara Tucker,
Saccharine Trust,
Symarip,
Cymande,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
The Angels of Light,
Fugazi,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Pulsallama,
Maleditus Sound,
Mary Jane Girls,
Arcadia,
Soul II Soul,
Depeche Mode,
kango's stein massive,
Johnny Osbourne,
Flash Fearless,
Ituana,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Grauzone,
Schoolly D,
Gang Gang Dance,
New Order,
Subhumans,
Steve Hackett,
K-Klass,
The Move,
Magazine,
B.T. Express,
Scratch Acid,
Heaven 17,
Anakelly,
Average White Band,
Radiopuhelimet,
Faust,
Deakin,
Lou Reed,
Tom Boy,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Yellowson,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Slackers,
Albert Ayler,
Monks,
Motorama,
Girls At Our Best!,
John Cale, John Cale, John Cale, John Cale.
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.