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 Ghana and from Paris.
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 1966 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Deakin to the rap kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 James Chance & The Contortions. All the underground hits.
All Soulsonic Force tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every James Chance & The Contortions record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lightning Bolt record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Model 500,
Fat Boys,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Joe Smooth,
Cheater Slicks,
The Slackers,
Rufus Thomas,
The Velvet Underground,
Nick Fraelich,
Buzzcocks,
Simply Red,
Grey Daturas,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Grandmaster Flash,
MDC,
Soft Cell,
Skarface,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Anakelly,
The Monks,
The Associates,
AZ,
Kaleidoscope,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Underground Resistance,
OOIOO,
Gang Starr,
The Searchers,
The Birthday Party,
Eric Dolphy,
Talk Talk,
Jeru the Damaja,
Johnny Osbourne,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Ralphi Rosario,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Lakeside,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Flamin' Groovies,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Hot Snakes,
Shoche,
Qualms,
Stereo Dub,
Brick,
Sister Nancy,
Gang of Four,
Davy DMX,
Mary Jane Girls,
The Last Poets,
Thee Headcoats,
Ornette Coleman,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Rotary Connection,
Wasted Youth,
Ponytail,
Robert Hood,
Boogie Down Productions,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes.
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.