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 Antigua and from Hong Kong.
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 1963 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Mission of Burma to the jazz kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Quantec. All the underground hits.
All Faraquet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Funky Four + One 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pet Shop Boys record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Moody Blues,
Magma,
John Lydon,
Monolake,
The Detroit Cobras,
Graham Central Station,
The Count Five,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Interpol,
Jerry's Kids,
Sight & Sound,
The Saints,
Fort Wilson Riot,
John Foxx,
The Zeros,
Index,
Brick,
Don Cherry,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Donny Hathaway,
Ludus,
Erykah Badu,
June of 44,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Rakim,
Ultra Naté,
The Remains,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Robert Hood,
Malaria!,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
FM Einheit,
Eden Ahbez,
Loose Ends,
Kas Product,
Crispy Ambulance,
Todd Terry,
10cc,
Eddi Front,
The Grass Roots,
Eric B and Rakim,
Peter and Kerry,
Man Eating Sloth,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Glambeats Corp.,
Subhumans,
Radio Birdman,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Blackbyrds,
David Axelrod,
The Martian,
The Offenders,
Echospace,
Youth Brigade,
New Age Steppers,
Zero Boys,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken.
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.