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 St Kitts & Nevis and from Copenhagen.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Jimmy McGriff to the grime kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Harry Pussy. All the underground hits.
All Talk Talk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every X-102 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Minor Threat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Drexciya,
L. Decosne,
Joyce Sims,
Althea and Donna,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Shuggie Otis,
Masters at Work,
Dorothy Ashby,
Warren Ellis,
World's Most,
Laurel Aitken,
Popol Vuh,
Jeru the Damaja,
Sonic Youth,
Scott Walker,
Deadbeat,
The Names,
June of 44,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Bronski Beat,
Barry Ungar,
The Gun Club,
Cameo,
Slick Rick,
Barbara Tucker,
Bush Tetras,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Juan Atkins,
Minnie Riperton,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Panda Bear,
Reagan Youth,
Royal Trux,
Rakim,
Absolute Body Control,
PIL,
The Neon Judgement,
Max Romeo,
Clear Light,
Stockholm Monsters,
Peter & Gordon,
The Angels of Light,
Bauhaus,
Rotary Connection,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Gories,
Grauzone,
Average White Band,
Cluster,
The Cowsills,
Zapp,
Altered Images,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Gang Gang Dance,
The United States of America,
Henry Cow,
Carl Craig,
Television,
Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach.
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.