Stephen Gardner started Chessie in 1993, while he was still a member of Lorelei, the Washington, D.C. post-rock forerunners. Gardner's then side-project pushed past the boundaries of "indie", combining guitars and post-rock sensibilities with the timbres, sonic palette, and production techniques of experimental electro-acoustic music, all aimed at capturing the sounds, spaces and feelings of railways and train travel. Chessie's five full-length releases, including one by their side project Camping on the Drop Beat and Plug Research imprints, have been genre-defining works. Marked by off-kilter rhythms, dense textures, and a haunting harmonic core, Chessie's music has been the blueprint for the work of countless other artists.
In 2000, Ben Bailes joined Chessie, and from that time he and Gardner have worked as a duo. The two producers share composition and production duties at their System Studios in Washington, DC.
In 2005, Berlin's Lok Musik put out Chessie's Dual Mode EP, representing Chessie's first new release since 2001's acclaimed Overnight LP/CD, dubbed "one the 10 best obscure albums of 2001" by The New York Times.
Chessie's 5th full length (including Suburban Shore by their side project Camping), Manifest, was released on February 4, 2008 by Plug Research.
