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 Sudan and from Edmonton.
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 1969 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Golliwogs to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Gang Starr. All the underground hits.
All Marine Girls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Vogues record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 chamberlin and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nils Olav record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Toni Rubio,
The Gories,
Jacob Miller,
Gerry Rafferty,
48th St. Collective,
CMW,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The Associates,
Basic Channel,
The Alarm Clocks,
The Invisible,
Zapp,
The Fuzztones,
Interpol,
Rhythm & Sound,
Harry Pussy,
The Stooges,
Althea and Donna,
The Fall,
Little Man,
Camberwell Now,
Alison Limerick,
The Vogues,
Stetsasonic,
Eddi Front,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Byron Stingily,
New York Dolls,
The Fire Engines,
Lungfish,
Kas Product,
James White and The Blacks,
Grandmaster Flash,
Maurizio,
Bobby Byrd,
Con Funk Shun,
Sonny Sharrock,
Moss Icon,
Ronnie Foster,
Agent Orange,
Tropical Tobacco,
Colin Newman,
Pet Shop Boys,
Tommy Roe,
the Sonics,
Wasted Youth,
Babytalk,
Outsiders,
Fugazi,
Public Enemy,
Janne Schatter,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Sonic Youth,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Letta Mbulu,
Pylon,
Swans,
Funkadelic,
Q65,
DJ Sneak,
Scott Walker, Scott Walker, Scott Walker, Scott Walker.
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.