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 Slovenia and from Winnipeg.
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 1965 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 mellotron 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 Aaron Thompson to the techno 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 Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade. All the underground hits.
All Average White Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marshall Jefferson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Marshall Jefferson,
Ultravox,
Little Man,
New Order,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
the Soft Cell,
Mandrill,
Throbbing Gristle,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Gil Scott Heron,
the Sonics,
The Doobie Brothers,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
David Axelrod,
Hot Snakes,
Babytalk,
The Slackers,
Mantronix,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
The Zeros,
Camouflage,
Faraquet,
Lyres,
the Human League,
Girls At Our Best!,
Joyce Sims,
Kenny Larkin,
Blossom Toes,
10cc,
Aswad,
Tommy Roe,
Roxy Music,
Crispian St. Peters,
Television Personalities,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Morten Harket,
Chrome,
Barclay James Harvest,
Arab on Radar,
Eddi Front,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Zero Boys,
La Düsseldorf,
Outsiders,
Stockholm Monsters,
Joey Negro,
Adolescents,
Qualms,
Newcleus,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Scion,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Smoke,
Cecil Taylor,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Archie Shepp,
John Coltrane,
The Remains,
The Count Five,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
The Move, The Move, The Move, The Move.
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.