Photo: Jim Newberry

Incredibly prolific, versatile and visionary cellist Alison Chesley, who performs under the moniker Helen Money, has her hand in many projects and collaborations. For nearly three decades, she has composed for film, theatre and dance, as well playing, touring and working in albums from artists like Mono, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, Russian Circles, Chris Connelly, Shellac, Neurosis, Earth and many more. Her latest project sees her joining forces with composer and producer Will Thomas, with whom she has frequently collaborated. They have announced the release of Trace, which marks their debut collaborative full-length album. The pair’s prowess for invoking emotion is palpable in the upcoming record, and according to the press release, “they each use their highly developed means of conveying emotion through sound and their collaborative natures to accentuate the emotional arc of the compositions”. On the upcoming album, Chesley and Thomas “utilize timbre, tone and dynamics as essential tools in crafting stunning emotive narratives. Together, the duo wield sound with inquisitive aplomb, burrowing into each other’s sonic aesthetics and unearthing irrefutable beauty.”

Trace is set for release on May 12th through Thrill Jockey and ahead of it the pair have shared the striking first single ‘Thieves’. Here it is.