Milla Raspa was created in 1995 by a group of friends and musicians who wanted to do something different that allowed them to feel free artistically. They named the group after an ancient Tibetan monk who was a great patron of music, the arts, and creativity in general. They played several shows all over Arizona and had a large following. Known for their distinct sound (mainly their rhythm section which was made up of 5-6 drummers), their drummers hit bits of metal and/or played several types of hand drums. Dan Feiler's bass playing also set them apart because of his original style and tone. Rich joined Milla Raspa in April, 1996. He was approached by several members of the group after they watched him play solo at an open mic at Charly's in Flagstaff, AZ. They went to work on a musical production titled 'Erre' which was performed in June, 1996. There were approximately 20 people that took part in the show, and it went great. The group performed only a few times after that - most of those shows took place at the Gateway Ranch where many of the band's members lived and where they would meet to practice. The Ranch was about 45 miles outside of Flagstaff, on the edge of the reservation. One had to drive 9 miles on a precarious dirt road to get there. Surrounded by cinder cones, old lava flows, Anasazi ruins, coyotes, rattle snakes, jack rabbits, and herds of antelope, the band was inspired and had many great moments together. It seems the energy in the desert and perhaps the long journey from Flagstaff to the Ranch finally took their toll on the group though, and they split in June, 1997.
In Milla Raspa's first incarnation, the band was made up of::
John Edwards - guitar
Doug McLaughlin - drums, metal, percussion
Sven Eichenser - metal, brake drums, percussion
Josh Hansen - conga, percussion
Christian Liscinsky - metal, percussion
Pete Beckman (Pedro Dia) - oil drum, percussion
Robert Seitz - harmonica
Dan Feiler - bass
Jesus Pacheco - saxophone
Several people floated in and out of Milla Raspa, but the lineup in Spring of 1996 was:
Doug McLaughlin - drums, metal, percussion
Sven Eichenser - metal, brake drums, percussion
Josh Hansen - drums, conga, percussion
Christian Liscinsky - metal, percussion
Pete Beckman (Pedro Dia)- oil drum, percussion
Jane Williams - voice
Paul Martello - percussion
Dan Feiler - bass
Rich Brown - guitar