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 Ukraine and from Philadelphia.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the marimba 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 Lakeside to the dance 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 Michelle Simonal. All the underground hits.
All The Residents tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eyeless In Gaza record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 marimba and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ice-T record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Max Romeo,
Gastr Del Sol,
The Leaves,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Joy Division,
Interpol,
Pussy Galore,
Wally Richardson,
Sixth Finger,
Isaac Hayes,
Arab on Radar,
The Wake,
The Detroit Cobras,
Eve St. Jones,
In Retrospect,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Aloha Tigers,
Jesper Dahlback,
Nation of Ulysses,
Nas,
Pet Shop Boys,
The Moody Blues,
The Smiths,
Country Teasers,
The Pop Group,
the Human League,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Half Japanese,
Suicide,
Qualms,
The Grass Roots,
The Litter,
Metal Thangz,
Al Stewart,
Yaz,
Todd Rundgren,
Nico,
Ultra Naté,
Aural Exciters,
Patti Smith,
Michelle Simonal,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
The Beau Brummels,
Minnie Riperton,
The Skatalites,
Mary Jane Girls,
David Axelrod,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Underground Resistance,
Shuggie Otis,
The Monks,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Sonic Youth,
DJ Style,
the Normal,
Slick Rick,
Zapp,
Hardrive,
The United States of America,
Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt.
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.