Chessie (band)

Chessie is an American experimental music group consisting of Stephen Gardner and Ben Bailes.

Gardner started Chessie in 1994, while he was a member of the Washington, D.C. post-rock band Lorelei. His first full-length as Chessie, Signal Series, was issued in 1998 and was named Best Dance and DJ Album that year by Amazon.com.[1] In 2000 Gardner was joined by Bailes and they have since worked as a duo.[2] While Overnight received critical acclaim[3] and a spot on a New York Times music critic's best-of-2001 list,[4] a follow-up record did not materialize until 2008, when the group released Manifest on Plug Research. The repetitive nature of their music is inspired by trains and railroads.[5][6][7][8]

In 2022, Gardner became president and CEO of Amtrak.[9]

Musical style

Reviewing Signal Series, M. Tye Comer of CMJ New Music Monthly considered Chessie a product of the closing gap between post-rock and experimental electronica in the late 1990s. He noted that the album was a sound collage with raw loops and influences from dub music and drum and bass.[10]

Discography

Albums

EPs and collaborations

  • Approach Limited 7", 1996
  • Lost, Not Found 10", 2000
  • Alpha-Arvonia DVD&CD (with Colby Caldwell), 2004
  • Suburban Shore (as Camping, with Henning Fritzenwalder), 2004
  • Dual Mode EP, 2006

References

  1. ^ Cooper, Paul (January 14, 2002). "Chessie: Overnight". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Chessie". Epitonic. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012.
  3. ^ DaRonco, Mike. "Chessie Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Pareles, Jon (January 3, 2002). "Best of the Obscure Among 2001's Albums". The New York Times. p. E1. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Jenkins, Mark (July 21, 2001). "Chessie". Washington City Paper. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Jenkins, Mark (November 12, 2001). "The Railroad Underground". Washington City Paper. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Ranta, Alan (February 19, 2008). "Chessie: Manifest". PopMatters. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Mark (January 21, 2002). "Chessie: Plugged-In Tracks Plus Some Surprising Fare". Washington Post. p. C8. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Amtrak Announces Bill Flynn to Retire and Names Stephen Gardner as New President and CEO" (Press release). Amtrak. December 15, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Comer, M. Tye (October 17, 1998). "Reviews" (PDF). CMJ New Music Monthly. Retrieved June 6, 2023.


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