With the passing of Sakamoto and Takahashi recently, and new work from a variety of established artists I’ve been listening to a lot of electronica recently. The question has to be, is there anywhere left to go with this music?
The answer is the new album from The Big Boss. I’ve made no secret of loving Martin Byrne’s earlier albums or of regarding him as a damn fine chap. But a review is meant to tell you why you need to listen to ‘Inner Space,’ and you do need to listen to it. Following In Transit which was written on the last flight back from New Zealand in 2020, Inner Space “takes that album’s hypnotic grooves and deep electronic beats, adding sweeping synth melodies and a splash of chopped up vocals to make this an album for true electronic music lover.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
The lead singles Closer, ESP and especially Beats on My Mind point you the right way for an understanding of this album, but the standout song for me (with my Kraftwerk fan hat on) is Lift Me Up, which currently sits on a playlist between Tour De France (Etape 2) and Faithless’ Insomnia. Try it, you’ll see I’m right.
The journey to Inner Space is all about an 18-year-old Auckland city punk rocker who left NZ in 1985 landing in London with £20 in his pocket. Martin spent 7 years with avant-garde electro rockers Thule before forming The Big Boss. After an epiphany in a field watching Vitalic The Big Boss was revibrated as a 1-man electronic beast. The albums have all been themed around cowboys, space, and indeed space cowboys so Martin decided to look inwards instead and reveals the inner emotions of a cowboy on a space journey. Matt Foster (Wiz Khalifa, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Gorillaz, Swedish House Mafia) was responsible for the mixing and has brought a new sharpness to the sound. Martin describes his sound as “Future-Retro” a blend of Vitalic, Daft Punk, Leftfield, and Kraftwerk. Taking names like that and doing something unique with their influence is where The Big Boss is way ahead of anything else you’ll hear in this corner of the musical forest.
The aforementioned Beats on My Mind with its sudden key change halfway through, something few electronic artists risk in their over programmed world, sits at the 120BPM sweet spot for moving or just listening. All Alone reflects 70s artists Suicide in the dark ambience of its treated vocal. The relentless beats and grating low vocals speak to long nights awake contemplating the universe. Closing tune, I Dream Of Meaning brings the Space Cowboy’s dream to a better place, the sweeping trancey synths that fill the later part of the song are uplifting and hopeful. The journey inward resolves in a decaying echo.
The musical journey from Kiss the Machine in 2019 to Inner Space has taken The Big Boss to some strange new worlds, but the maturing of his sound has brought us 2 albums that answer the question what is left to say in Electronic music with a resounding listen to In Transit and Inner Space and you’ll see why with Daft Punk gone, and Kraftwerk their own tribute band we need to be thankful for artists like the Big Boss.
You can buy the album digitally at Bandcamp and stream it in the usual places. Ther is also a limited 300 run of double vinyl with 2 tracks per side, which will give the best possible sound. It’s available as a record store day release at shops around the country and direct from Bandcamp. There’s also a fab deal for the whole Big Boss back catalogue. You know you want it…
