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 Guinea and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1960 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 marimba 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 Rod Modell to the jazz kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Spoonie Gee. All the underground hits.
All Mission of Burma tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Alphaville 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rod Modell,
Kerrie Biddell,
The Sonics,
Michelle Simonal,
Chris & Cosey,
Liliput,
The Sound,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Andrew Hill,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Moody Blues,
The Count Five,
Das Ding,
Nick Fraelich,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Slits,
Radiohead,
The Knickerbockers,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Sonny Sharrock,
Porter Ricks,
Lower 48,
Cecil Taylor,
The Golliwogs,
These Immortal Souls,
Warren Ellis,
ABBA,
Jeff Mills,
Kas Product,
Babytalk,
Lyres,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Flamin' Groovies,
kango's stein massive,
X-101,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Dorothy Ashby,
Thee Headcoats,
Panda Bear,
Q65,
The Blues Magoos,
Scrapy,
Hot Snakes,
Pantytec,
Clear Light,
Los Fastidios,
Mary Jane Girls,
The Leaves,
The Wake,
Soul II Soul,
Spoonie Gee,
Crash Course in Science,
Peter & Gordon,
The Flesh Eaters,
Roger Hodgson,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Agent Orange,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Camouflage, Camouflage, Camouflage, Camouflage.
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.