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 Norway and from Columbus.
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 1965 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Lille.
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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Cheater Slicks to the rap 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 Underground Resistance. All the underground hits.
All Rites of Spring tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cheater Slicks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Neon Judgement record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lalo Schifrin,
Fifty Foot Hose,
New York Dolls,
Soulsonic Force,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Vainqueur,
Robert Görl,
Kevin Saunderson,
Public Enemy,
Marcia Griffiths,
Kerri Chandler,
The Happenings,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Suburban Knight,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Scrapy,
Grauzone,
The United States of America,
Newcleus,
The Vogues,
Jimmy McGriff,
Siglo XX,
Janne Schatter,
The Divine Comedy,
Flipper,
John Coltrane,
The Busters,
Camouflage,
Neil Young,
the Association,
Von Mondo,
Howard Jones,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Duran Duran,
Minnie Riperton,
Stockholm Monsters,
Brand Nubian,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Lalann,
Lindisfarne,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Bootsy Collins,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Don Cherry,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Gap Band,
Unwound,
Pere Ubu,
Fad Gadget,
Silicon Teens,
Ossler,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Suicide,
Joe Smooth,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Connie Case,
The Standells,
Stiv Bators,
Radio Birdman,
Bobby Womack,
Mandrill,
Trumans Water, Trumans Water, Trumans Water, Trumans Water.
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.