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 Argentina and from Stockholm.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 spring reverb 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 The Flesh Eaters to the electroclash 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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band. All the underground hits.
All Sugar Minott tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Human League 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a U.S. Maple record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
K-Klass,
Franke,
Shoche,
Todd Terry,
The Residents,
F. McDonald,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
New Age Steppers,
Excepter,
Joe Finger,
Tubeway Army,
Drive Like Jehu,
Morten Harket,
Tres Demented,
Severed Heads,
John Lydon,
Kevin Saunderson,
Trumans Water,
Swans,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Urselle,
The Remains,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Masters at Work,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
James White and The Blacks,
The Zeros,
Lower 48,
Johnny Osbourne,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
R.M.O.,
Average White Band,
Peter & Gordon,
Iggy Pop,
Buzzcocks,
Brass Construction,
Aloha Tigers,
In Retrospect,
Yusef Lateef,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Grey Daturas,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Lucky Dragons,
the Soft Cell,
Surgeon,
Motorama,
Matthew Halsall,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Grass Roots,
Dead Boys,
Bootsy Collins,
Thee Headcoats,
Tomorrow,
Deadbeat,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Vogues,
Danielle Patucci,
Howard Jones,
Qualms,
U.S. Maple,
Kayak,
Dennis Brown,
Ronan, Ronan, Ronan, Ronan.
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.