They Are Gutting a Body of Water

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They Are Gutting a Body of Water
Three guitarists and one drummer. The guitarists are all in front of the stage facing away from the audience
TAGABOW performing in 2023
Background information
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres
Years active2017–present
SpinoffsJouska, FC goris, god of war
Members
  • Douglas Dulgarian
  • Emily Lofing
  • PJ Carroll
  • Ben Opatut
Past members
  • Josh Lesser
  • Julia McCue
  • Cooper Beaupre[4]

They Are Gutting a Body of Water (TAGABOW; stylized in all lowercase[5]) is an American shoegaze band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was initially the solo project of songwriter and guitarist Douglas Dulgarian, but has expanded to a full lineup including bassist Emily Lofing, guitarist PJ Carroll, and drummer Ben Opatut.[6]

History[edit]

Douglas Dulgarian (born 1990 or 1991)[7] grew up in Middletown, New York. He relocated to Albany in 2010, where he formed the band Jouska. Around the time the band released the album topiary in 2016, Dulgarian moved to Philadelphia and began to perform as TAGABOW with drummer Ben Opatut.[8]

TAGABOW began as a solo project by Dulgarian with the tapes they are gutting a body of water and sweater curse. The band released its first proper album, gestures been, in 2018.[9] In 2019, TAGABOW released Destiny XL, which was recorded in a former house show venue in West Philadelphia and influenced by William Gibson's book Neuromancer.[1] The album was re-released in 2021 by Citrus City Records.[1] In 2022, the band announced their signing to California label Smoking Room and released the split EP An Insult to the Sport and the album lucky styles.[a][3] That same year, Jouska released visions from the bridge, originally planned for 2018, and Dulgarian put out a rap EP under the name FC Goris.[10][11] In 2023, Dulgarian contributed to seven tracks on Jane Remover's album Census Designated,[12] and TAGABOW released the visual album Expansion Pak on YouTube.[13] In 2024, the band released the single "Krillin" featuring Greg Mendez and Sun Organ.[14]

Dulgarian also runs Julia's War Recordings, which has put out music from bands including Feeble Little Horse and Wednesday.[9][15]

Reception and musical style[edit]

TAGABOW's music has been highly praised by critics. Philadelphia radio station WXPN wrote that "[d]espite being a sonic blur, Destiny XL has this eerie ability to elicit hyper-specific feelings that blindside you" and described the band as "a homage to the unknown, to the visceral, and to the things that haunt us."[1] Stereogum described An Insult to the Sport as "one of the year’s best EPs", called lucky styles "beautiful and fascinating",[3] and included TAGABOW as part of a larger "new wave of American shoegaze".[16] NPR described lucky styles as "a twisted tour of the band's every impulse".[2] Chicago Reader praised the "loose, uninhibited creativity" of lucky styles and said the band "toy[s] with shoegaze like Van Leeuwen screws around with ice cream".[17]

Genres besides shoegaze that have influenced the band include drum and bass, breakcore, jungle, and reggaeton.[1][9][17] TAGABOW has been compared to the Irish band My Bloody Valentine[1] and to Philadelphia contemporaries Alex G and the Spirit of the Beehive.[3][2] Original breakcore and ambient interludes produced by Dulgarian feature prominently on both Destiny XL and lucky styles, and are played on a sampler while the band tunes during live sets,[18][19] a ritual that has become a defining part of the band's live experience. TAGABOW is also known to perform on the floor instead of the stage while facing away from the audience.[20] At one point, TAGABOW played a show at a Sonic Drive-In in New Jersey.[9][21]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

List of studio albums and EPs, with selected details
Title Album details
Gestures Been
Destiny XL
  • Released: October 17, 2019
  • Labels: Self-released, Citrus City
  • Formats: Digital download, cassette
Lucky Styles[a]
  • Released: October 17, 2022
  • Label: Smoking Room
  • Formats: Digital download, cassette, 12" vinyl
Expansion Pak
  • Released: October 17, 2023
  • Label: Self-released, Bee Side Cassettes
  • Formats: Digital download, DVD

Live albums[edit]

List of live albums, with selected details
Title Album details
They Are Gutting a Body of Water on Audiotree Live
  • Released: August 16, 2022
  • Label: Audiotree
  • Format: Streaming

Extended plays[edit]

List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Album details Notes
sweater curse
  • Released: January 1, 2017
  • Label: Fuzz Records
  • Format: Streaming, cassette
The Kid From a Dream Who Called It a Body Hi
  • Released: July 14, 2018
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Streaming
Epcot
  • Released: November 14, 2021
  • Labels: Julia's War
  • Formats: Streaming, cassette
 Split EP with Full Body 2
An Insult to the Sport Split EP with A Country Western

Singles[edit]

Title Year
"krillin"

(featuring Greg Mendez and Sun Organ)

2024

Jouska discography[edit]

  • This Kid Thinks Hes Sick. EP (2015)
  • Topiary (2016)
  • From Elson to Emmett (2018)
  • Visions From the Bridge (recorded 2018, released 2022)

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Written as 's' on streaming services[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sullivan, Samantha (September 9, 2021). "Inside the warped reality of Philly's They Are Gutting A Body of Water". WXPN. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Lorusso, Marissa (October 21, 2022). "They Are Gutting a Body of Water, 'Delta P'". NPR. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d DeVille, Chris (October 17, 2022). "Stream They Are Gutting A Body Of Water's New Album 'Lucky Styles'". Stereogum. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Doyle, Jon (October 15, 2019). "They Are Gutting A Body of Water - Destiny XL". Various Small Flames. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ^ "they are gutting a body of water". Bandcamp. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  6. ^ Jolley, Brandon (October 15, 2022). "They Are Gutting a Body of Water's lucky styles Review". WUSC-FM. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  7. ^ Enis, Eli (February 28, 2017). "Albany's Doug Dulgarian is dedicated to DIY". The Alt. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018.
  8. ^ Cohen, Ian (February 14, 2018). "Band To Watch: Jouska". Stereogum. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d Monroy, Matthew (January 23, 2023). "They Are Gutting a Body of Water on shoegaze, moshing, and playing shows at Sonic". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Cohen, Ian (August 17, 2022). "Jouska: Visions From the Bridge". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  11. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (December 15, 2022). "They Are Gutting A Body Of Water's Douglas Dulgarian Released A Rap EP As FC Goris". Stereogum. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Birchak, Roni (August 31, 2023). "Jane Remover announces sophomore album featuring TAGABOW frontperson". WXPN. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Staff, BrooklynVegan (October 18, 2023). "New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  14. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (March 7, 2024). "They Are Gutting A Body Of Water Share New Song "krillin" Featuring Greg Mendez & SUN ORGAN". Stereogum. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  15. ^ New Media Director (April 18, 2023). "Interview with Doug Dulgarian of TAGABOW". WPTS-FM. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  16. ^ Enis, Eli (December 22, 2022). "The New Wave Of American Shoegaze". Stereogum. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Galil, Leor (March 20, 2023). "They Are Gutting a Body of Water make a case for wackier shoegaze". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Monroy, Matthew. "They Are Gutting a Body of Water on shoegaze, moshing, and playing shows at Sonic". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  19. ^ "They Are Gutting a Body of Water - July 18th, 2022 in Kansas City, MO". toomuchrock.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  20. ^ Deitch, Brittany (December 19, 2023). "Unraveling They Are Gutting A Body Of Water's Blissful Universe". RATPIE. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  21. ^ Staropoli, Calvin (November 16, 2022). "They Are Gutting A Body of Water - "Lucky Styles" | Album Review". POST-TRASH. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Rettig, James (September 14, 2022). "They Are Gutting A Body Of Water & A Country Western Release New Split EP: Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved September 10, 2023.

External links[edit]

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