Sorry For Laughing — Sorry For Laughing

Released back in 1986 as a cassette release Sorry For Laughing- under the original title of Jesus Wept- is a decidedly wonky & off-centre blend of post-punk, lo-if modern classical & 1980’s instrumental mood music. From the guys over at klanggalerie here is a much needed first every reissue of this mid-1980’s sonic oddity- which really doesn’t sound like much else.

The CD comes presented in a fold-out six-panel glossy digipak- this takes in haphazard, abstract & troubling artwork & photo work. The CD clocks in at forty-two minutes, and takes in eleven tracks that run between just under a minute & five and a half minutes. Not sure what the pressing is on this, but if it sounds like your cup of sonic oddness- I’d get this sooner, than later.
 
Sorry For Laughing was set-up and centred around Colorado-based Gordon H. Whitlow- who is connected with longstanding American experimental electronic collective Biota( aka Biota-Mnemonists or Mnemonists, Mnemonist Orchestra). For the release, Whitlow wrote & pretty much played everything- taking in guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, recorder, tapes drums, voice, and production. With smaller supporting roles from William Sharp on Organ & production, Larry Wilson drums & hand percussion, Mark Piersel on Trumpet, and Mark Petersen voice.
 
The sound of the album is best described as largely instrumental mood pieces- which are often highly lopsided, awkward, often moving towards out-of-tune & muddled. Over the eleven tracks, we move from wondering ‘n’ bleak piano marches, onto scrabbling blends of post-punk & off-colour jazz wailings. Through to melting blends of clanging 80’s keyboard work, discordant AOR guitars, and barely heard waving male vocals. Through to rising-though off-key blend of tinkling pianos and awkwardly darting guitars. Onto hazed & uncertainly mixes of twanging guitars, wondering almost lost bass lines and muffled speed up voice samples.
 
I guess the closet thing I could compare some of this album to is the felt and at times wonky mood music/ instrumental music that Vincent Gallo made in the ’70s/’80s. But with even more off-key wonky edges to it- and at times the music  also attempts at brighter/positive feel- even though it’s filtered through bad/ off key playing.
 
All in all thanks to klanggalerie for unearthing this decidedly lop-sided, yet oddly charming little release. If you enjoy rundown, off-colour & decidedly wonky mood music you have to check out Sorry for Laughing work- and it’s such a pity more was never made.