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 Botswana 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 1960 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the 808 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 Traffic Nightmare to the crunk 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 Glenn Branca. All the underground hits.
All John Coltrane tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every John Holt 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Wells record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Walker Brothers,
Juan Atkins,
Silicon Teens,
Funky Four + One,
Pagans,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Hashim,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Marc Almond,
Vainqueur,
Bush Tetras,
Eric Dolphy,
Gang of Four,
Alton Ellis,
Grauzone,
Curtis Mayfield,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Throbbing Gristle,
Minor Threat,
Ralphi Rosario,
AZ,
The Mojo Men,
Delta 5,
Sällskapet,
Altered Images,
Erykah Badu,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
the Slits,
Barbara Tucker,
Barrington Levy,
kango's stein massive,
X-101,
Rotary Connection,
Von Mondo,
Spandau Ballet,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Mantronix,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Glambeats Corp.,
Thee Headcoats,
Neil Young,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Sonic Youth,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Donald Byrd,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Prince Buster,
Talk Talk,
The Cowsills,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Tomorrow,
Deadbeat,
Marmalade,
Essential Logic,
Alphaville,
Model 500,
Swell Maps,
Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef, Yusef Lateef.
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.