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 Samoa and from Columbus.
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 1968 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the marimba 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 Royal Trux to the funk 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 The Remains. All the underground hits.
All Quando Quango tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Siouxsie and the Banshees record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 oboe and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pharoah Sanders record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bill Near,
Reagan Youth,
Harmonia,
Soul Sonic Force,
Agent Orange,
Goldenarms,
Cecil Taylor,
Banda Bassotti,
CMW,
MC5,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Faraquet,
Patti Smith,
B.T. Express,
Trumans Water,
Theoretical Girls,
Tears for Fears,
Scientists,
Agitation Free,
Rakim,
Scan 7,
Magazine,
Second Layer,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Motions,
Freddie Wadling,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Peter & Gordon,
Lucky Dragons,
Albert Ayler,
Chrome,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Soft Cell,
Avey Tare,
Lou Reed,
The Last Poets,
Al Stewart,
Excepter,
Cluster,
Letta Mbulu,
Groovy Waters,
Sarah Menescal,
Black Moon,
Siglo XX,
the Bar-Kays,
The Doobie Brothers,
kango's stein massive,
U.S. Maple,
The Searchers,
Man Parrish,
Con Funk Shun,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Livin' Joy,
Section 25,
Cheater Slicks,
Unrelated Segments,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Divine Comedy,
Sonny Sharrock,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Slits, The Slits, The Slits, The Slits.
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.