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 Argentina and from Hong Kong.
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 1960 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Black Flag to the rap kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Vainqueur. All the underground hits.
All Pere Ubu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every DJ Sneak record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Peter and Kerry record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
H. Thieme,
Mandrill,
Traffic Nightmare,
Maurizio,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Stockholm Monsters,
Delta 5,
Scott Walker,
Ludus,
The Mummies,
Jesper Dahlback,
Absolute Body Control,
Mad Mike,
Soft Cell,
Newcleus,
Derrick Morgan,
Colin Newman,
The Doobie Brothers,
the Normal,
Lucky Dragons,
Gabor Szabo,
Pulsallama,
Con Funk Shun,
Gang of Four,
Gichy Dan,
Boredoms,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Depeche Mode,
Sexual Harrassment,
Royal Trux,
Au Pairs,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
La Düsseldorf,
Bush Tetras,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Dave Clark Five,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Rekid,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Interpol,
Aural Exciters,
Talk Talk,
Nirvana,
The J.B.'s,
Stetsasonic,
Joy Division,
B.T. Express,
Audionom,
the Germs,
Circle Jerks,
Terrestrial Tones,
Basic Channel,
Masters at Work,
Jacques Brel,
Rites of Spring,
Donny Hathaway,
X-Ray Spex,
Ituana,
The Gories,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Blossom Toes, Blossom Toes, Blossom Toes, Blossom Toes.
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.