E13 - Subash Thebe Limbu, "Sound Recordings of Time Travellers"

Subash Thebe Limbu (Limbuwan, Nepal/United Kingdom)
“Sound Recordings of Time Travellers” (2025)

This work incorporates both used and unused sounds from the artist’s previous pieces Ningwasum (2021) and Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous (2023), as well as materials from unrealized projects. Both earlier works feature time travelers from the Indigenous Yakthung (Limbu) Nation of the distant future: in Ningwasum, Miksam journeys to our timeline in search of her father, while in Ladhamba Tayem, Mikki travels back to 1774 CE to meet the Yakthung warrior Kangsore, who fought against the invading colonial Gorkha army. The piece blends Indigenous Yakthung melodies and language with electronic music, field recordings, the sounds of handloom, and excerpts from legendary Yakthung singer Bhagat Subba’s song. Toward the end, the sound work features a clip from Ningwasum of Yangdang Phongma—a Yakthung naming ceremony where a newborn is blessed and shown the sun, moon and stars for the first time.

Here, the time traveler remembers the blessings her mother once gave her: 

“Be skilled in weaving time,
Be fast as the speed of light,
Be bright as Tanchhoppa,
Be intelligent and kind.
Speak thousands of languages, Think in hundreds or more.
Never be afraid to move forward, Never forget your past though.
May you travel to many stars,
May the stars welcome you as I did. In times of despair and sorrow, Let it pass through you,
And live for a better tomorrow. For I will always be with you— Even if you’re lightyears away, Even if you’re in another time,
I will love you to the Milky Way.”

Time travellers
Miksam-Manu Nembang (Ningwasum,2021)
Mingsoma- Bimala Khajum Limbu (Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous, 2023)
Kangsore- Aashish Aveng Limbu (Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous, 2023)
Bhagat Subba (Hakpare, Yakthung Samlo)
Jhuma Limbu (Theme song from Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous, 2023)
Backing vocals- Tirshana Nembang, Rojina Thegim, Dipa Suhang, Bibas Nembang, Amrit Kumar Bhatta, Laxman Limbu (Theme song from Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous, 2023) 

Subash Thebe Limbu
is a Yakthung (Limbu) artist from Yakthung Nation (Limbuwan), located in present-day eastern Nepal. He works with sound, film, music, and painting. His Yakthung name is *Tangsang (Sky). Drawing from socio-political issues, resistance and science/ speculative fiction, his works engages the notion of time, climate change, and indigeneity through the critical lens of Adivasi Futurism, a framework he has been developing over several years. His recent projects, Ningwasum (2021) and Ladhamba Tayem; Future Continuous (2023), have been presented at major international platforms including Tate Modern (London), the Asia Pacific Triennial (Brisbane), and the Sharjah Biennale (Sharjah), among others. Subash is a co- founding member of Yakthung Cho (Yakthung Art Society), and is currently based between Kathmandu (Newa-Tamsaling) and the United Kingdom.