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 Russia and from Delhi.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Durutti Column to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Los Fastidios. All the underground hits.
All The Mojo Men tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Popol Vuh record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brand Nubian record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arab on Radar,
U.S. Maple,
Mission of Burma,
Archie Shepp,
Bronski Beat,
Joe Smooth,
DNA,
Siglo XX,
Royal Trux,
Dual Sessions,
DJ Sneak,
Groovy Waters,
Banda Bassotti,
David McCallum,
a-ha,
Mr. Review,
Janne Schatter,
Marine Girls,
Ornette Coleman,
Franke,
Curtis Mayfield,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Derrick May,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
X-102,
Jeff Lynne,
Funkadelic,
Delon & Dalcan,
Pulsallama,
World's Most,
Tubeway Army,
Soul II Soul,
Heaven 17,
Fela Kuti,
Alton Ellis,
Kevin Saunderson,
Animal Collective,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Ken Boothe,
Dead Boys,
Sly & The Family Stone,
EPMD,
Crime,
Colin Newman,
Hasil Adkins,
Thee Headcoats,
The Golliwogs,
The Knickerbockers,
Black Flag,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Bill Wells,
The Martian,
Stereo Dub,
The Pretty Things,
Malaria!,
The Misunderstood,
Dark Day,
Boogie Down Productions,
Cal Tjader,
Joe Finger,
Avey Tare,
John Holt, John Holt, John Holt, John Holt.
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.