Martin Byrne, the man behind The Big Boss, describes it as an electronic beast. That description is entirely accurate, with the ability of the project to convey powerful emotions without having to rely on words. In Transit is the fifth album from the artist born in the Camden music scene of the 90s, whose career was reborn in 2015 when he met French electronic music producer Vitalic at Beatherder. Martin has had a long and adventurous musical journey. Starting from playing in punk bands at the age of 15, reaching the United Kingdom with £20 in his pockets, being part of indie, techno, industrial bands: he has been in transit trying to create his musical identity. In his opinion, this album is the destination that The Big Boss has been heading towards following his previous releases, and it represents a complete experience of the trademark sounds that define Martin’s work.
In Transit is a relaxing trip where it is extremely easy to find yourself adrift. Masterfully mixed, it oozes a sense of positivity in grim times and tends to fill those who listen to it with hopeful energy. Diversity and retro sounds are at the heart of this record and it has something to offer for everyone. Therefore, it is apt that Martin refers to his genre as ‘Future Retro.’ Some of his influences include Vitalic, Daft Punk, Leftfield, Kraftwerk and Jon Hopkins, and these shine through on the record in different places, giving rise to a sound that is unique to The Big Boss.
‘The Point of No Return’ is a wonderful opening. It marks the true essence of the album, which was created on the last plane back from New Zealand in 2020. Martin describes it as “an album about travelling when we’ve been nowhere.” The opening with airport sounds follows up on this and sets the tone for this album, announcing a one hour long journey across 10 tracks. There are songs like ‘Block Rock’ and ‘Back 2 the Future’ that delve into elements of hip-hop. Then there’s songs like ‘Coast 2 Coast’ that represent the reinvigorated disco sound that we’ve heard in the past year. And then there’s a standout track like ‘4:02 to Destination’ that I could see myself listening to on the radio on my way home from work, just to unwind after a tiring day. In Transit is an amalgamation of beautiful sounds that has only one true purpose: to transport you to a place where you can put aside your worries.
To truly appreciate the electronic project, it should be seen as an hour-long experience. Even though it is comprised of 10 tracks, each track represents a new step in the journey, which is the central idea around which the album was constructed. Considering how enchanting it is, we would recommend you to get lost within the sound, and even if it is something you know nothing about, there is a good chance you might like where you end up after being ‘In Transit.’