Losing My Edge

"Losing My Edge"
Single by LCD Soundsystem
from the album LCD Soundsystem
B-side "Beat Connection (Extended Disco Dub)" [1]
Released July 8, 2002
Format
Genre
Length 7:51
Label DFA
Writer(s) James Murphy
Producer(s) The DFA
LCD Soundsystem singles chronology
"Losing My Edge"
(2002)		 "Give It Up"
(2003)

"Losing My Edge" is the first single by LCD Soundsystem, released on July 8, 2002 and later featured on their eponymous debut.

The song was listed at #13 on Pitchfork Media's top 500 songs of the 2000s.[2] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 40 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[3]

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. ”
 

Structure

The track appears to be structured similarly to "Change" by Killing Joke.[5]

The track mentions the following artists and music venues:

and ends with "But have you seen my records?" and a list of the following:

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.[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/LCD-Soundsystem-Losing-My-Edge-Beat-Connection/release/48762
  2. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7693-the-top-500-tracks-of-the-2000s-20-1/
  3. ↑ http://www.nme.com/list/150-best-tracks-of-the-past-15-years/248648/page/12
  4. ↑ http://www.ireallylovemusic.co.uk/interviews/lcd_soundsystem.html
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Losing My Edge. Perf. LCD Soundsystem. EMI. YouTube. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xG4oFny2Pk>.

"LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge/Beat Connection". Discogs. Retrieved 5 July 2013.

"Pitchfork's Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 20-1". Pitchfork. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2010.

John Doran. "LCD Soundsystem Interview". ireallylovemusic. Retrieved 17 June 2010.

External links