For those not in the know, Bill Brennan / Andy McNeill is a collaboration between two Canadian multi-instrumentalist/composers blending elements of West Javanese gamelan music with contemporary electronic ambient styles.

Dreaming In Gamelan is the new release by musicians Brennan and McNeill, who combine their expertise — both as composers, McNeill at home in the studio, and Brennan as a long time member of Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan — on the album.

The album, an independent release that drops October 24th, 2025 is the culmination of a journey that saw it begin as the score for a documentary on the CBC network back in 2001. Subsequently, a suite of music from the film saw a live performance in Massey Hall. The material has evolved and developed during the ensuing period and combines the traditions of West Javanese music with contemporary experimental, jazz, and ambient modes.

1. Tunnels of Light [02:44]
2. Dreaming In Gamelan [02:34]
3. Morning Beams [03:07]
4. Dawn Invocation [02:43]
5. Cloud Forest [03:39]
6. Journey Ahead [03:23]
7. Temple [03:25]
8. Golden Voices [03:14]
9. Three Paths [03:21]
10. Reverie [10:13]

Live instrumentation and electronica expertly come together in this unique music, which opens up this new recording on the shimmering Tunnels of Light and the gently manifesting Dreaming In Gamelan and then we get the furtively cognate Morning Beams, the glistening Dawn Invocation and the steely Cloud Forest.

Along next is the veritably crystalline Journey Ahead which is itself backed seamlessly by the atmospheric Temple, the quietly effervescent Golden Voices, the set rounding out on the stirring Three Paths, coming to an all-too-soon close on the cinematically emotive, ten-minute opus Reverie.

Musicians:
Bill Brennan - bonang, panerus, kendang, jengglong, peking, gongs, percussion, keyboards, vibraphone
Andy McNeill- bonang, panerus, jengglong, electronics, bass, treatments w/ Hugh Marsh - electric violin

Bill Brennan’s expertise as a pianist, percussionist, composer and producer can be heard on some 130 albums to date. His last album “Kaleidoscope – Music for Mallet Instruments” has received numerous award nominations. Tom Allen of CRC Radio’s “It’s About Time writes “Bill Brennan’s Kaleidoscope is perfectly named - a constantly shifting, twirling, entrancing and enchanting swirl of beauty and fascination.”

One of his last CDs with Andrea Koziol was released in 2019, entitled “I’ll Be Seeing You”. It garnered the MusicNL Jazz and Blues Award. Bill’s album of 2006 “Solo Piano” received nominations for MusicNL and ECMA Instrumental Album of the Year. Indeed, his album “Solo Piano 2” won the MusicNL Instrumental album of the year in 2008.

More than 30 years of relentless experience have garnered Brennan a solid reputation as a performer, composer and arranger of contemporary classical, jazz, folk and world music — always exploring, always open to new ideas, Brennan’s talents resist classification.

Andy McNeill is a composer and music consultant based in Toronto. His music was featured in the award winning feature documentary The Corporation. In October 2007 he composed the score for the PBS Frontline/ CBC documentary Darfur: On Our Watch. In October 2001, he received a Gemini nomination for best original music score in a documentary program for History Television’s Turning Points In History “Cloud of Death”.

In radio, Andy has worked as music consultant for many IDEAS programs on CBC Radio One. He worked closely with the late celebrated broadcaster and musicologist Lister Sinclair.

Andy also composes and creates tracks for the Los Angeles-based music library Velvet Ears. Created and curated by music supervisor Liz Gallacher, it is tagged as the “art-house, post-punk production music boutique.” Velvet Ears is distributed by Extreme Music/Sony ATV.

Official Purchase Link

www.billbrennan.ca