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 Switzerland and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 Manchester and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 James Chance & The Contortions to the grime 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 Radio Birdman. All the underground hits.
All Cal Tjader tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lizzy Mercier Descloux 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rhythm & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Gap Band,
Organ,
Curtis Mayfield,
Mr. Review,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Matthew Halsall,
Sugar Minott,
Outsiders,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Dead Boys,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
the Slits,
kango's stein massive,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Cymande,
a-ha,
Guru Guru,
Eric B and Rakim,
Drexciya,
The Move,
K-Klass,
PIL,
The New Christs,
June of 44,
Subhumans,
The Offenders,
Sixth Finger,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Marc Almond,
Gang of Four,
Panda Bear,
The Gladiators,
H. Thieme,
Gil Scott Heron,
Anthony Braxton,
Khruangbin,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Minnie Riperton,
Blancmange,
The Techniques,
The Skatalites,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
the Soft Cell,
Dawn Penn,
The Sound,
Nation of Ulysses,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Niagra,
Barbara Tucker,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Toasters,
EPMD,
Marine Girls,
Lebanon Hanover,
Bobby Byrd,
Fear,
Crime,
Gregory Isaacs,
Loose Ends,
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.