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 Finland and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1963 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 David Bowie 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 Basic Channel to the punk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 A Flock of Seagulls. All the underground hits.
All Bronski Beat tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Wolf Eyes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 an oboe and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Germs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
Mandrill,
Lyres,
Young Marble Giants,
Jimmy McGriff,
Black Flag,
Ultra Naté,
Godley & Creme,
Drexciya,
Livin' Joy,
Gang Gang Dance,
Gil Scott Heron,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Scientists,
New York Dolls,
Blake Baxter,
The Gun Club,
Thee Headcoats,
Gang Green,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Los Fastidios,
Pharoah Sanders,
Bang On A Can,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Scott Walker,
Soft Cell,
Can,
The Victims,
Swans,
Delon & Dalcan,
Joensuu 1685,
Jandek,
Jerry Gold Smith,
H. Thieme,
Yusef Lateef,
The Modern Lovers,
T. Rex,
Wings,
Neu!,
Audionom,
The Red Krayola,
OOIOO,
The Neon Judgement,
Basic Channel,
Tubeway Army,
Tres Demented,
Eve St. Jones,
The Count Five,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Lakeside,
Black Moon,
June Days,
Johnny Clarke,
Gastr Del Sol,
Absolute Body Control,
Pylon,
Eli Mardock,
Au Pairs,
Chrome, Chrome, Chrome, Chrome.
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.