Bill Brennan & Andy McNeill – ‘Dreaming in Gamelan’ Review

What does Bill Brennan & Andy McNeill sound like?

For this album and collaboration, they provide ambient, jazzy, experimental twists on gamelan music.

The review of ‘Dreaming in Gamelan’ by Bill Brennan & Andy McNeill

The seeds for ‘Dreaming in Gamelan’ were sown over 25 years ago, as a documentary score for CBC in 2001. Bill Brennan is a composer, pianist, percussionist and producer who also loves the Sudanese Gamelan. The joy of gamelan is shared by Andy McNeill, who comes from a more electronic and production background. The pair wanted to explore the natural rings and reverbs of the gamelan and turn it into an aural, experimental experience.

The album features 10 tracks which layer and swirl around different types of gamelan. The bonang (bell pot-shaped), panerus (metallophone), jengglong (suspended pot gong), and peking (high-pitched metallophone) are all used, with the vibraphone dotted around between. They are tunefully layered in the gamelan’s typically bulbous yet mystical sound. Tracks like ‘Tunnels of Light’ are hypnotic seas of arpeggio waves jangling in the sunlight. They are beautiful and sumptuous, feeling rich with life.

Where Bill and Andy go beyond is to include electronic treatments and effects into the mix. ‘Cloud Forest’ uses rhythmic electronics to create a light, dewy tone, as light percussive brushes hold the song’s structure. The title track provides flute-like synths and brings in Hugh Marsh and his electric violin, which appears across the album to add sympathetic hues and pizzicato plucks. The violin comes to the fore when bassier, cavernous tracks like ‘Journey Ahead’ need balance from the hollow metallic bass gongs. Even then, the violin is tweaked to sound like buzzing hornets or bird squawks. The ephemeral fourth world approach makes the album an ethereal otherworldly experience. Even a rustic kendang drum gets time to shine with the desert pilgrimage of ‘Temple’. A distant, washed-out piano hides in the background of ‘Golden Voices’ as shimmering high-pitched bells shudder and tinkle like ice cubes. The album closes with the ‘Reverie’, a 10-minute ambient piece that takes the main ringing sounds of the gamelan and removes them. All that’s left is the after tone ring. It is hauntingly numb yet oddly comforting and warming. I liken it to being concussed by feathers.

This is easily my favourite album that showcases the West Javanese Gamelan because it balances tradition with modernity. Some tracks shine on their hypnotic, rhythmic melodies. Others relish the chance to soothe you in their auras and moods. At all times, Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill captivate you with an intriguing world full of dreamy delights. This has become my go-to album for relaxation since its release. If I want to calm down or let my mind wander into the ether, ‘Dreaming in Gamelan’ is the best soundtrack for it. Headphones recommended.

Recommended track: Dreaming in Gamelan

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