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 Venezuela and from Tehran.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Cabaret Voltaire to the rap 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 Radiohead. All the underground hits.
All Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Raincoats record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
One Last Wish,
The New Christs,
Heaven 17,
Kayak,
Depeche Mode,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Mary Jane Girls,
Barclay James Harvest,
Junior Murvin,
Little Man,
Grey Daturas,
June of 44,
John Holt,
Fatback Band,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Modern Lovers,
The Neon Judgement,
The Barracudas,
Stetsasonic,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Todd Rundgren,
Reagan Youth,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Ronan,
Pierre Henry,
Quantec,
U.S. Maple,
Nirvana,
Letta Mbulu,
Hardrive,
LL Cool J,
Vladislav Delay,
Parry Music,
The Saints,
Los Fastidios,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Gerry Rafferty,
Quadrant,
Ornette Coleman,
Joensuu 1685,
Blancmange,
Glenn Branca,
Half Japanese,
a-ha,
Faraquet,
Neu!,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Graham Central Station,
Ultra Naté,
Rites of Spring,
X-101,
Ludus,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Q65,
Desert Stars,
Moss Icon,
Eddi Front,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Ultravox,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Kas Product, Kas Product, Kas Product, Kas Product.
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.