The Monument Ribbed Collar Tee draws inspiration from ancient tribal structures, music instruments and music. The graphic is a collage of various tribal structure archives of instruments and figures which were then pieced together to form the monument-like sttructure on the front.

Tribal Musical Instruments

Many musical instruments were believed to have originated from places such as Egypt and Sumer from about 3000 B.C. Thereafter, through generations of musicians, these instruments were then passed on to travellers who journeyed across the globe. As such, many of these musical instruments penetrated very obscured places on the earth.

An example would be that of the Arched Harp which exists in many different variations today due to the different influences. Usually, the Arched Harp comes with an extended neck that bends like an arch and it is considered to be one of the most principle forms of harp. This form is often played in a vertical position, plucked with both hands, often by a musician who is kneeling.

The Arched Harp eventually found its way into Africa where it is still often played by the various tribes scattered around the country (the harp is known as ennanya in Uganda). The harp then travelled southwards to Southeast Asia where it is known as the Burmese Harp, saung gauk.

Over the years, many of these instruments begin to lose popularity as many of them are often associated with traditions that are dying.

Re-appropriation

Thankfully, in the world of music sampling, the popularity of these tribal musical instruments are revived. With renowned electronic musicians travelling across the globe, visiting various tribes from different continents and recording the sounds of their music only to deliver it to the masses as a form of educational re-appropriation.

In 2016, Robert Musci released a stunning compilation album titled “Tower of Silence” under Music From Memory. The 22 track album comprised of various tracks which he had composed from 1974 - 1985. During which he had paid numerous visits to Asia, Africa and India, conducting field recordings of various tribal grounds and collecting indigenous instruments.

“Tower of Silence” is one of those albums that take the listener to whole different realm, in a whole different time of existence. From samples of indigenous instruments to vocal recordings of dialects spoken in a wholly foreign language, the album takes the tribal and ancient music and re-appropriates it into a whole new aural experience. And he does it in a very respectful manner too as he makes a great attempt not to deviate from the original sounds recorded. Throughout the album, you can hear the raw sounds of various indigenous instruments such as drums, nut shakers and harps which creates an immersive experience for the listener.

With the advent of electronic music, tribal music ironically, gets more attention that it used to receive. It has transcended past beyond the boundaries of ritualistic and sometimes sacred practices to a more modernised way of appreciation. Not only does the music inform current modes of production today, it also created a whole new genre of electronic music known as “Tribal Electronic Music” today.

The Monument Tee is an embodiment of tribal music in a graphical form. While its design research was in progress, many tribal tracks helped influence the overall graphic. Here are some of our favourites (do note that we do not own any rights to any of the music shared below):

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