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 Ivory Coast and from Bologna.
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 1969 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Radiopuhelimet to the rock kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Birthday Party. All the underground hits.
All Mandrill tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Andrew Hill record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Alphaville record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
A Certain Ratio,
Susan Cadogan,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Underground Resistance,
Cal Tjader,
Connie Case,
Duran Duran,
John Holt,
Thompson Twins,
The Slits,
Grauzone,
Siglo XX,
Neu!,
T. Rex,
Second Layer,
The Golliwogs,
Minutemen,
Amon Düül II,
Public Image Ltd.,
Josef K,
Amon Düül,
Nik Kershaw,
Lee Hazlewood,
Gichy Dan,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Archie Shepp,
Blancmange,
Faraquet,
These Immortal Souls,
June Days,
Index,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Kerrie Biddell,
Visage,
Piero Umiliani,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Inner City,
Rapeman,
Radiopuhelimet,
Quantec,
Godley & Creme,
Tommy Roe,
The Moody Blues,
The Young Rascals,
Accadde A,
Stetsasonic,
Mo-Dettes,
Arthur Verocai,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Toni Rubio,
DJ Style,
Quando Quango,
Henry Cow,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
X-101,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Music Machine,
The Five Americans,
Flash Fearless,
The Blackbyrds,
The Sonics,
Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth.
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.