Begun in 1993 as the project of Stephen Gardner from Arlington, VA, Chessie explores the physical, emotional, and aesthetic aspects of railways through sound. Gardner, who has worked for and traveled extensively on railways, processes his railroad experiences through various electro-acoustic production methods including analog tape techniques, acoustic instruments, and sequencer-less recordings.
Following two full length LP/CD's (Drop Beat's 1997's "Signal Series" and 1999's "Meet") and various singles, Gardner was joined full-time by Ben Bailes, a sound engineer and producer based in New York City, who has been listening intently to the world around him for as long as he can remember. The two started collaborating in 1998 while Gardner was recording "Meet", and came to enjoy working as a duo.