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Losing My Edge

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"Losing My Edge"
Song
B-side"Beat Connection (Extended Disco Dub)"

"Losing My Edge" is the debut single by American dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as a 12-inch single on July 8, 2002 through DFA Records. It was later featured on the CD version of their eponymous debut studio album. "Losing My Edge" peaked at number 115 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also listed at number 13 on Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s list.[1] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 40 on its "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years" list.[2]

Background

In an interview with the music site "ireallylovemusic", James Murphy (the leader of the group) explained his inspiration for the song:

When I was DJing, playing Can, Liquid Liquid, ESG, all that kind of stuff, I became kind of cool for a moment, which was a total anomaly. And when I heard other DJs playing similar music I was like: ‘Fuck! I’m out of a job! These are my records!’ But it was like someone had crept into my brain and said all these words that I hate. Did I make the records? Did I fuck! So, I started becoming horrified by my own attitude. I had this moment of glory though. People would use me to DJ just to get them cool. They’d be like ‘It’s the cool rock disco guy’ and this was really weird. And to be honest I was afraid that this new found coolness was going to go away and that’s where ‘Losing My Edge’ comes from. It is about being horrified by my own silliness. And then it became a wider thing about people who grip onto other people’s creations like they are their own. There is a lot of pathos in that character though because it’s born out of inadequacy and love.

— James Murphy, [3]

Composition

"Losing My Edge" is an alternative dance[4] and electronica song with spoken word vocal parts. The track features a rhythm similar to "Change" by Killing Joke.[5] The track mentions the following artists and music venues: Can, Suicide, Captain Beefheart, Daft Punk, CBGB, Paradise Garage, Larry Levan, The Beach Boys, Modern Lovers, Niagara, Detroit techno, Yaz, and ends with "But have you seen my records?" and a list of the following: This Heat, Pere Ubu , Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, Trojans, Black Dice (referred to as 'The Black Dice'), Todd Terry, The Germs, Section 25, Althea & Donna, Sexual Harassment, a-ha, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, The Fania All-Stars, The Bar-Kays, The Human League, The Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagara, Joy Division, Laurent Garnier, The Creation, Sun Ra, Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc, Rammelzee, Eric B. and Rakim, The Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force ("Just hit me!"), Juan Atkins, Manuel Göttsching, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, GIL! SCOTT! HERON!, The Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharoah Sanders, The Fire Engines, Swans (referred to as 'The Swans'), Eric B. And Rakim, Soft Cell (referred to as 'The Soft Cell'), and The Sonics (repeated four times).[6]

Music video

LCD Soundsystem released a video for "Losing My Edge" featuring a close-up of James Murphy getting slapped in the face repeatedly for four minutes as he lip syncs the song. By the end of the song, there are tears in his eyes. He tells the person slapping him to stop, then bursts into laughter, wiping the tears from his eyes as the video ends.[7]

Track listing

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Losing My Edge"7:53
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Beat Connection" (Extended Disco Dub)8:07

Charts

Chart (2003) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[9] 115

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalogue no.
 United States July 8, 2002 DFA 12" dfa 2123[8]

References

  1. ^ "Staff Lists: The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 20–1". Pitchfork Media. August 21, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. Retrieved December 1, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Doran, John. "Soundsystem and Vision". ireallylovemusic (via Internet Archive). Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  4. ^ Doran, John (5 January 2016). "Disco Infiltrated: An Early LCD Soundsystem Interview". The Quietus. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Articles: You Were There: The Complete LCD Soundsystem". Pitchfork Media. March 28, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Lcd Soundsystem - Losing My Edge Lyrics". MetroLyrics. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  7. ^ "LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge". YouTube. February 25, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge / Beat Connection (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  9. ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK – L". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved December 1, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
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