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 Denmark and from Taipei.
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 1965 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 clarinet 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 The Motions to the grime kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Peter and Kerry. All the underground hits.
All Lindisfarne tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Strawberry Alarm Clock record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Zeros record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pet Shop Boys,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Isaac Hayes,
Marc Almond,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Sugar Minott,
Eric B and Rakim,
Oblivians,
The Busters,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Oneida,
Average White Band,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Jimmy McGriff,
Nico,
Crispy Ambulance,
Arthur Verocai,
FM Einheit,
Eurythmics,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Arab on Radar,
Carl Craig,
Panda Bear,
Yellowson,
The Gladiators,
Cybotron,
Television,
Kenny Larkin,
U.S. Maple,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Prince Buster,
The Gories,
Jesper Dahlback,
Silicon Teens,
Soulsonic Force,
R.M.O.,
the Bar-Kays,
Easy Going,
Boogie Down Productions,
A Certain Ratio,
Minor Threat,
Gang Starr,
Goldenarms,
Lee Hazlewood,
Pharoah Sanders,
Don Cherry,
Lalann,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Youth Brigade,
Derrick Morgan,
Amazonics,
Index,
The Dirtbombs,
DJ Style,
Inner City,
Country Teasers,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Minnie Riperton,
The Stooges,
Lakeside,
Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani.
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.