Pass The Peas: Design, T-Shirts, and Music
Pass The Peas (PTP) was born out of pandemic boredom. Tama Krishna, the founder, said the project started as a casual pastime with no specific goals or big plans. He simply wanted to make T-shirts of bands or musicians he liked, especially those not available in the market. “I just wanted to make what I liked,” he said.
Launched in 2021, Pass The Peas began as a fully DIY effort. Tama handled pre-orders on his own, screen-printed the shirts with a friend, and managed everything independently. It wasn’t until 2023 that the project took a more structured direction. He began involving his friends in the creative and production processes, although the ideas and themes still come from him.
Broadly speaking, Pass The Peas is an independent brand based in Bandung that publishes articles and visual content related to international popular music. The formats vary: T-shirts, zines, posters, and collaborations with musicians or artists. Its core idea is to merge design and music literacy into a familiar and accessible medium. “Music is the top of mind when it comes to PTP,” said Tama. This is why every piece of information and design in their products is always directly connected to the world of music.
The creative process at Pass The Peas begins with listening. Tama said that many ideas emerge after discovering new music or learning interesting facts about a genre or musician. Sometimes, it simply comes from a feeling that something would be “fun to explore.” Once a theme is selected, he and his team conduct research, write articles or collect key points of information, and then turn these into visuals. The final result is usually in the form of infographics and later developed into T-shirts or other products.
In the context of music literacy, Tama sees the T-shirt as a distinctive medium compared to more traditional formats such as articles or books. He believes T-shirts can carry information to broader audiences and into various spaces without the need for heavy reading. “We see T-shirts more often in our daily lives. People wear them, and others can read the messages anytime and anywhere. Maybe it’s not a deep or comprehensive way of delivering ideas, but for the purpose of exposure or spreading awareness, T-shirts are effective,” he explained.
Beyond music, Pass The Peas has also addressed global issues through its products. One of their recent T-shirt releases titled “No One Will be Free until We Are All Free” expressed solidarity with people in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Yemen, Haiti, and Tibet. “Unconsciously, the music literacy we present on our T-shirts can become ice breakers that connect people with each other. They can even become personal statements for those who wear them.” Through this approach, T-shirts become connectors: between listeners, between information and readers, between fans and the music they celebrate.
Pass The Peas emerged from Tama’s appreciation for the music genres he loves. Some of the designs reference rare groove and jazz, Brazilian bossa nova and tropicalia, as well as Japanese music. Along the way, Pass The Peas has released several collaborative projects. One of the most memorable for Tama was a merchandise collaboration with the late Margo Guryan as a tribute. They also published the Zine Graphic Alphabet Book of Music with Dale Zine and worked with Earfeeder, Kamengski, and Studio Pancaroba. In music, they have collaborated with bands such as White Shoes and The Couples Company, Pearl & The Oysters, and Jacuzzi Boys.
Though it started without grand ambition, Pass The Peas is now evolving into something more complex and layered. Tama said they plan to publish more materials such as zines, books, or encyclopedias. They also hope to produce more printed goods like posters, accessories, and board games. A commitment to deeper research and broader collaboration accompanies all of these plans. “One of our dreams is someday to open an unconventional music school or a library so everything is more accessible to anyone.”
Despite these plans, their approach to the brand remains organic. There are no aggressive marketing targets or sales pressures. All communication, branding, and social media visuals are designed to stay light and honest. They do not define themselves strictly as a clothing brand or an educational platform. Pass The Peas exists somewhere in between: a space to celebrate music, share it visually, and build a community through what they hear, read, and wear. Their tagline reflects this spirit: Celebrating / Appreciating / Paying Homage / Tribute / Sharing / Connecting / Groovin’.
