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 South Sudan and from Seoul.
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 1964 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 spring reverb 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 Pantaleimon to the techno 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 Leonard Cohen. All the underground hits.
All Circle Jerks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 linndrum and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Moody Blues record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Television Personalities,
Kerri Chandler,
Alton Ellis,
Cymande,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
MDC,
Nas,
Pagans,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
The Blues Magoos,
Archie Shepp,
Soul Sonic Force,
Warsaw,
PIL,
Rotary Connection,
Motorama,
Severed Heads,
48th St. Collective,
Lebanon Hanover,
Audionom,
Das Ding,
The Red Krayola,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Cramps,
Silicon Teens,
Schoolly D,
Mark Hollis,
Outsiders,
Khruangbin,
Tears for Fears,
Yazoo,
Piero Umiliani,
The Human League,
Bronski Beat,
The Fugs,
Roxy Music,
K-Klass,
Magma,
Aswad,
Sugar Minott,
Harry Pussy,
The Searchers,
The Kinks,
Main Source,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Marmalade,
Masters at Work,
Judy Mowatt,
The Monks,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Cal Tjader,
The Monochrome Set,
Dawn Penn,
Blancmange,
Ultra Naté,
Bad Manners,
Parry Music,
ABC,
The Star Department,
The Mojo Men,
The Happenings,
Terrestrial Tones,
Carl Craig, Carl Craig, Carl Craig, Carl Craig.
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.