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 Eritrea and from London.
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 1968 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Pharoah Sanders to the rock 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 The Alarm Clocks. All the underground hits.
All Sparks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gary Puckett & The Union Gap record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 synthesizer and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Art Ensemble Of Chicago record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Easy Going,
Marshall Jefferson,
The Techniques,
The Residents,
T. Rex,
X-Ray Spex,
Make Up,
Chris Corsano,
Matthew Halsall,
Mr. Review,
Crime,
Sparks,
The Count Five,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Barrington Levy,
Sonny Sharrock,
Circle Jerks,
R.M.O.,
Camouflage,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Man Eating Sloth,
Nick Fraelich,
Sam Rivers,
Cluster,
Qualms,
Don Cherry,
Public Image Ltd.,
Lyres,
Pet Shop Boys,
Thee Headcoats,
The Selecter,
Khruangbin,
China Crisis,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Darondo,
Tropical Tobacco,
Lucky Dragons,
Quantec,
Bill Wells,
OOIOO,
Girls At Our Best!,
The Gap Band,
The Fugs,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
Half Japanese,
Jerry's Kids,
Hot Snakes,
The Dead C,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Parry Music,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Rotary Connection,
The Music Machine,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Monolake,
The Moleskins,
The Velvet Underground,
the Germs,
Accadde A,
The Fire Engines,
Model 500,
Lalann, Lalann, Lalann, Lalann.
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.