Sproton Layer - With Magnetic Fields Disrupted 1970 (1992)

Pierwszy zespół Rogera Millera znanego przede wszystkim z Mission of Burma, który założył jeszcze ze szkolnymi rówieśnikami w 1969 roku w Ann Arbor. Późnym latem 1970 roku nagrali materiał na album, który wydany został dopiero w 1992 roku pod tytułem "With Magnetic Fields Disrupted". Zważywszy na młody wiek muzyków, wyszło im z tego całkiem niezłe psychodeliczne granie, dość nietypowo urozmaicone charakterystycznymi partiami trąbki.

In March of 1969, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Miller brothers Roger (17), Benjamin (15) and Laurence (15) had a mind-altering improvisation session on guitar, bass and drums in their basement.  They called it "Freak Trio Electric", and none of them, or their views on music, were the same after this event.  A few days later, after repeated amazed listening to the tape ("Sounds like Pink Floyd cut with Captain Beefheart!" wrote Roger in his journal), they decided to form a band.  Roger wrote many songs that spring incorporating riffs and motifs from their improvisations.  Later that year they added trumpeter Harold Kirchen (brother of Bill Kirchen of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen fame) and changed their name to Sproton Layer.  Benjamin and Laurence began composing around this time. Their music was most definitely psychedelic, with many songs based on the "Toke Mythology."  The band played 20 or so shows in 1969 and 1970 before folding in the fall of 1970 due to the conservative direction rock music was moving.

In late summer 1970, they recorded and album's worth of material with classmate Mark Brahce engineering, again in their parents' basement.  This album, "With Magnetic Fields Disrupted", was released 23 years later on New Alliance, along with a 45 from 1969 sessions, to very little notice.

In 2010, the German label World in Sound found out about the group, contacted Laurence, and agreed to re-release "With Magnetic Fields Disrupted" in higher fidelity.  And, to the amazement of the brothers, they offered to include a 24 page booklet with photos, song-lists, drawings, journal entries,  and a history of the group.  The CD and LP will be released summer 2011.  Another album, including many other songs and improvisations, will be released somewhat later by World in Sound (with a smaller booklet!). (sprotonlayer)