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 Dominican Republic and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Pantytec to the rap 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 The Human League. All the underground hits.
All Porter Ricks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Bananas 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Moleskins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
the Fania All-Stars,
Roger Hodgson,
Alison Limerick,
Agent Orange,
Tom Boy,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Dennis Brown,
Minutemen,
Ornette Coleman,
The Sonics,
Avey Tare,
The Star Department,
The Angels of Light,
Ken Boothe,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Sound,
Popol Vuh,
This Heat,
Andrew Hill,
These Immortal Souls,
Isaac Hayes,
PIL,
The New Christs,
The Monks,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Brand Nubian,
The Remains,
Faust,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
the Human League,
Barrington Levy,
Ituana,
Soul Sonic Force,
DJ Style,
Fugazi,
Wolf Eyes,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Sparks,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Techniques,
Gang Gang Dance,
Moss Icon,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
X-Ray Spex,
T. Rex,
June of 44,
New Age Steppers,
Rod Modell,
Warren Ellis,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Sly & The Family Stone,
the Normal,
Excepter,
Derrick Morgan,
The Evens,
The Gladiators,
Desert Stars,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Ralphi Rosario,
Bad Manners, Bad Manners, Bad Manners, Bad Manners.
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.