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 Egypt and from Mexico City.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise 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 Agitation Free to the jazz 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 The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. All the underground hits.
All Fad Gadget tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Eddi Front record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Barclay James Harvest,
Animal Collective,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Albert Ayler,
Franke,
The Fire Engines,
Tommy Roe,
The Zeros,
Rakim,
Bizarre Inc.,
Gichy Dan,
Banda Bassotti,
Ken Boothe,
Das Ding,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
The Moleskins,
Lyres,
Groovy Waters,
Barbara Tucker,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Q and Not U,
Boredoms,
The Five Americans,
Lou Reed,
Grauzone,
a-ha,
Drive Like Jehu,
X-101,
Ornette Coleman,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Cramps,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Marvin Gaye,
Wasted Youth,
Al Stewart,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Half Japanese,
Mary Jane Girls,
Connie Case,
Lebanon Hanover,
48th St. Collective,
Eurythmics,
New Order,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Tropical Tobacco,
Jandek,
John Lydon,
Sugar Minott,
Shoche,
The New Christs,
Robert Wyatt,
Frankie Knuckles,
Panda Bear,
The Fugs,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
The Evens,
Altered Images,
Excepter,
Arthur Verocai,
Boogie Down Productions,
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
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.