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 Nauru and from Taipei.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 808 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 Grey Daturas to the crunk 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 Angels of Light & Akron/Family. All the underground hits.
All Rotary Connection tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kool Moe Dee record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 mellotron and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sly & The Family Stone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Khruangbin,
Sonny Sharrock,
Rod Modell,
Derrick May,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Smoke,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Con Funk Shun,
The Mojo Men,
The Vogues,
Scan 7,
Eric Copeland,
Ralphi Rosario,
Matthew Bourne,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Drive Like Jehu,
Robert Görl,
Deakin,
The Saints,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Knickerbockers,
Severed Heads,
Technova,
Joe Smooth,
John Foxx,
Soul Sonic Force,
Lower 48,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Ituana,
The Neon Judgement,
The Flesh Eaters,
World's Most,
Q and Not U,
Organ,
Amazonics,
Marine Girls,
Erykah Badu,
Sugar Minott,
Pierre Henry,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Dead Boys,
Yusef Lateef,
Model 500,
Magazine,
Black Sheep,
The Dead C,
The Mighty Diamonds,
One Last Wish,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Lindisfarne,
Eric B and Rakim,
EPMD,
the Swans,
Brothers Johnson,
Faust,
Rakim,
Royal Trux,
Barrington Levy,
Alphaville, Alphaville, Alphaville, Alphaville.
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.