Philadelphia Shoegaze Act Unveils 29-Song Collaborative Mixtape
They Are Gutting a Body of Water will release the mixtape 'Kool Faith / Loosies II' digitally on October 16 and physically on November 20 via ATO/Julia's War. The 29-track project features collaborations with Spirit of the Beehive, Hotline TNT, RXK Nephew, Greg Mendez, and many other artists. Three tracks from the mixtape—'Kool Marder' featuring Cashier, 'The Rook,' and 'Free Willy'—are now available to stream.
The 29-track mixtape draws heavily from the band's Philadelphia DIY network, pairing shoegaze peers with rappers like RXK Nephew and electronic artists such as DJ Manny. Bandleader Doug Dulgarian framed the project as a personal homage to local DJ mashup culture, citing DJ WHITEOWL as an influence. The release follows last October's album *Lotto*, which appeared on Pitchfork's 30 Best Rock Albums of 2025 list. A headlining US tour begins next month and runs through December, supporting both the new mixtape and the band's growing catalog.
This release may reinforce the collaborative ethos of the contemporary DIY shoegaze scene, showing how regional artists can cross-pollinate genres and build shared audiences. For fans, the sheer volume of features offers discovery pathways into lesser-known acts. The mixtape format could also signal a shift away from traditional album cycles, giving bands more flexibility to experiment between full-length releases while maintaining momentum with listeners.