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 Nigeria and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1962 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 snare 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 Major Organ And The Adding Machine to the rock 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 Black Flag. All the underground hits.
All John Holt tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every E-Dancer record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Big Daddy Kane record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Television Personalities,
Pere Ubu,
KRS-One,
The Associates,
Eurythmics,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Symarip,
Bobby Byrd,
F. McDonald,
Judy Mowatt,
London Community Gospel Choir,
The Gories,
Lee Hazlewood,
Moss Icon,
Hashim,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Freddie Wadling,
The Happenings,
The Skatalites,
Michelle Simonal,
The Neon Judgement,
Danielle Patucci,
The Sound,
Eric Copeland,
kango's stein massive,
Gichy Dan,
Erasure,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Stereo Dub,
Unwound,
Juan Atkins,
Skarface,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Peter and Kerry,
Reuben Wilson,
E-Dancer,
Chris & Cosey,
PIL,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Soft Machine,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Ten City,
The Barracudas,
Dead Boys,
Absolute Body Control,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Rapeman,
Minny Pops,
Oneida,
Lightning Bolt,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Gun Club,
Big Daddy Kane,
The Fuzztones,
The Stooges,
Sunsets and Hearts,
D'Angelo,
the Bar-Kays,
Fela Kuti,
The United States of America,
H. Thieme,
Scratch Acid,
L. Decosne, L. Decosne, L. Decosne, L. Decosne.
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.