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 Bulgaria and from Spokane.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Boogie Down Productions to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx. All the underground hits.
All CMW tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Quantec record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Blake Baxter record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Trojans,
The Slackers,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Index,
Junior Murvin,
Patti Smith,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Ronan,
Babytalk,
Con Funk Shun,
Los Fastidios,
Camberwell Now,
Depeche Mode,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Suburban Knight,
Colin Newman,
Alphaville,
Scientists,
The Pop Group,
Joy Division,
Lucky Dragons,
Qualms,
Kayak,
Deadbeat,
Prince Buster,
K-Klass,
Popol Vuh,
The Durutti Column,
Lalann,
Harpers Bizarre,
Harry Pussy,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Massinfluence,
Basic Channel,
Roy Ayers,
Bauhaus,
Sarah Menescal,
Davy DMX,
Rufus Thomas,
Delon & Dalcan,
Ultra Naté,
The Alarm Clocks,
Howard Jones,
Glambeats Corp.,
Gastr Del Sol,
The American Breed,
a-ha,
Lalo Schifrin,
Warren Ellis,
Pulsallama,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Black Sheep,
Panda Bear,
The Human League,
The Golliwogs,
Quando Quango,
Marvin Gaye,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Gregory Isaacs,
Flipper,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May, Derrick May.
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.