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 Cambodia and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1965 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 mellotron 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 Eric Dolphy to the rap kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Crispy Ambulance. All the underground hits.
All Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Copeland 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rhythm & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Agent Orange,
Saccharine Trust,
Audionom,
Robert Hood,
Isaac Hayes,
Flamin' Groovies,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Franke,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Henry Cow,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Quantec,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Pere Ubu,
Schoolly D,
Skarface,
Joe Finger,
Drexciya,
Colin Newman,
cv313,
Panda Bear,
Sun City Girls,
Glenn Branca,
Sarah Menescal,
Stockholm Monsters,
Swell Maps,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Soul II Soul,
Duran Duran,
Rapeman,
Fela Kuti,
Nils Olav,
Eddi Front,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Kerrie Biddell,
H. Thieme,
Popol Vuh,
Kevin Saunderson,
Siglo XX,
JFA,
X-Ray Spex,
Vainqueur,
Monks,
Clear Light,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Blancmange,
The Leaves,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Pretty Things,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Silicon Teens,
Camberwell Now,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Misunderstood,
Black Sheep,
The Modern Lovers,
The Angels of Light,
The Motions,
The Sisters of Mercy,
48th St. Collective,
The Doors,
Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins.
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.