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 Winnipeg.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Arthur Verocai to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Motorama. All the underground hits.
All Eli Mardock tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Excepter record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 marimba and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Slits,
Magma,
Radio Birdman,
Young Marble Giants,
Derrick May,
Brass Construction,
Pussy Galore,
EPMD,
Saccharine Trust,
Roxette,
Newcleus,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Y Pants,
Gerry Rafferty,
The Slackers,
Tears for Fears,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Matthew Halsall,
The Pretty Things,
Crooked Eye,
The Angels of Light,
Brand Nubian,
Sandy B,
Heaven 17,
The Dead C,
Connie Case,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Ken Boothe,
Average White Band,
Oneida,
Cymande,
Barrington Levy,
Lalann,
Letta Mbulu,
The Happenings,
Avey Tare,
Aloha Tigers,
Eric Copeland,
Black Pus,
Loose Ends,
Quadrant,
Wire,
Scott Walker,
Buzzcocks,
Thee Headcoats,
Index,
Bootsy Collins,
The Durutti Column,
Josef K,
Mr. Review,
It's A Beautiful Day,
B.T. Express,
Vladislav Delay,
The Dirtbombs,
The Toasters,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Spoonie Gee,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Mantronix, Mantronix, Mantronix, Mantronix.
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.