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 Belize and from Stockholm.
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 1964 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Quando Quango to the grunge kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Marvin Gaye. All the underground hits.
All Audionom tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gang of Four record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Dave Clark Five record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Oblivians,
Harmonia,
Smog,
Ken Boothe,
The Stooges,
Hasil Adkins,
Jerry's Kids,
The Misunderstood,
This Heat,
Banda Bassotti,
Minnie Riperton,
The Mummies,
Girls At Our Best!,
Pagans,
Amon Düül,
EPMD,
Deadbeat,
The Barracudas,
Ornette Coleman,
The Toasters,
Quantec,
Jeff Mills,
Mantronix,
Nico,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Vogues,
Gastr Del Sol,
The Golliwogs,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Juan Atkins,
The Dead C,
Suicide,
New Order,
Das Ding,
Jandek,
Accadde A,
Mission of Burma,
Hardrive,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Mighty Diamonds,
PIL,
Graham Central Station,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Byron Stingily,
Lou Christie,
Mo-Dettes,
Jeru the Damaja,
H. Thieme,
Ituana,
Desert Stars,
a-ha,
Supertramp,
Royal Trux,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Grandmaster Flash,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Michelle Simonal,
Lightning Bolt,
the Sonics,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Music Machine, The Music Machine, The Music Machine, The Music Machine.
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.