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 South Sudan and from Madrid.
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 Jakarta and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Bronski Beat to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Metal Thangz. All the underground hits.
All Joensuu 1685 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Quantec record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Accadde A,
Black Sheep,
Boz Scaggs,
Ronan,
Skriet,
June Days,
Archie Shepp,
The United States of America,
Idris Muhammad,
Zero Boys,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Vladislav Delay,
CMW,
Sonny Sharrock,
Sarah Menescal,
Yaz,
Minutemen,
the Sonics,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Iggy Pop,
The Selecter,
Curtis Mayfield,
Sight & Sound,
Camouflage,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Beau Brummels,
Chris Corsano,
Grauzone,
Donald Byrd,
Stetsasonic,
The Evens,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Cure,
The Busters,
The Dirtbombs,
Adolescents,
Lou Reed,
Quantec,
Slick Rick,
The Neon Judgement,
Warsaw,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Jawbox,
Soul II Soul,
Zapp,
Moss Icon,
Dave Gahan,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
JFA,
Lou Christie,
Sonic Youth,
Echospace,
Minnie Riperton,
Excepter,
Bad Manners,
Animal Collective,
Ohio Players,
The Velvet Underground,
Moby Grape,
Faraquet, Faraquet, Faraquet, Faraquet.
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.