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 Marshall Islands 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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Kenny Larkin to the dance 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 Visage. All the underground hits.
All Avey Tare tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every DJ Style record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 mellotron and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Make Up record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Joyce Sims,
Mad Mike,
Ohio Players,
Pantytec,
Brick,
Minnie Riperton,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Zero Boys,
Pantaleimon,
Radio Birdman,
Pagans,
Scion,
John Cale,
Piero Umiliani,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Whodini,
Babytalk,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Lower 48,
The Cowsills,
Derrick May,
Althea and Donna,
Skriet,
Make Up,
Young Marble Giants,
OOIOO,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Gang Gang Dance,
Erykah Badu,
T.S.O.L.,
Silicon Teens,
Joey Negro,
Bill Wells,
Alison Limerick,
Cluster,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Arab on Radar,
Robert Wyatt,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Japan,
Eurythmics,
The Martian,
Deadbeat,
R.M.O.,
Clear Light,
Suicide,
Sällskapet,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Detroit Cobras,
Ronnie Foster,
Maurizio,
Eve St. Jones,
Tomorrow,
Jeff Mills,
K-Klass,
Roxette,
Adolescents,
Gichy Dan,
Sexual Harrassment,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.