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 Kiribati and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1967 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Unwound to the crunk 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 Anakelly. All the underground hits.
All Rhythim Is Rhythim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Country Teasers record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Five Americans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
U.S. Maple,
The Kinks,
Johnny Clarke,
Kool Moe Dee,
New York Dolls,
Tears for Fears,
Inner City,
Underground Resistance,
The Last Poets,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Techniques,
Arab on Radar,
Cecil Taylor,
Joe Smooth,
Michelle Simonal,
Barrington Levy,
Nick Fraelich,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Technova,
DJ Style,
Nas,
James White and The Blacks,
Cymande,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Little Man,
Cybotron,
Oblivians,
The Fortunes,
Suburban Knight,
Desert Stars,
Andrew Hill,
Sixth Finger,
ABBA,
New Age Steppers,
Kenny Larkin,
Massinfluence,
Terrestrial Tones,
The United States of America,
Pharoah Sanders,
Pantaleimon,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Archie Shepp,
Chris Corsano,
Pet Shop Boys,
Cal Tjader,
Barry Ungar,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Sound Behaviour,
Fat Boys,
Animal Collective,
Camouflage,
Harmonia,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Tom Boy,
The Selecter,
The Saints,
Spandau Ballet,
Boredoms,
Guru Guru,
Cheater Slicks,
Mandrill, Mandrill, Mandrill, Mandrill.
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.