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 Czech Republic and from Taipei.
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 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 Robert Palmer 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 Prince Buster to the dance kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Roy Ayers. All the underground hits.
All Rekid tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tropical Tobacco record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Japan,
OOIOO,
Carl Craig,
Rekid,
Jesper Dahlback,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Johnny Osbourne,
Agent Orange,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Zero Boys,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Jacob Miller,
Maleditus Sound,
Janne Schatter,
Ornette Coleman,
Quadrant,
Connie Case,
Sarah Menescal,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Colin Newman,
Dark Day,
Barclay James Harvest,
Saccharine Trust,
The Durutti Column,
Rotary Connection,
Jeru the Damaja,
Man Eating Sloth,
B.T. Express,
Soft Machine,
The Martian,
Marvin Gaye,
Fatback Band,
The Gun Club,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Boogie Down Productions,
Amazonics,
Dave Gahan,
Easy Going,
Idris Muhammad,
The Monochrome Set,
The Raincoats,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Minny Pops,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Andrew Hill,
The Neon Judgement,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Joensuu 1685,
Matthew Halsall,
The Pop Group,
The Star Department,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Delta 5,
Ronan,
Sam Rivers,
Flash Fearless,
The Searchers,
Television Personalities,
Au Pairs,
David McCallum,
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.