BBC selects track from Sounds of the Wetlands

The work Tiempo Austral, by Leonardo Santos, included on the album Sounds of the Wetlands (2025), has been requested by the BBC from the label Gruenrekorder for potential use in radio or television programs broadcast by the network.

Leonardo Santos was a thesis student within the Soundlapse project, and this work was developed as part of a collaborative creative process that brought together compositions by students from the University of the Arts London and the Universidad Austral de Chile (Valdivia), based on wild soundscape recordings made in both cities.

The recordings made in Chile were carried out over recent years in different wetlands in the southern part of the country, as part of the research and creative work of the Soundlapse project.

Tiempo Austral (2025)

This soundscape composition is an acoustic exploration of the Valdivian temperate rainforest, a unique natural environment that combines rich biodiversity with very distinctive climatic conditions. It begins with an evocation of the local fauna, where the calls of birds such as the concón (rufous-legged owl), fiofío, queltehue (southern lapwing), and crested duck resonate within a dense, humid forest. The echo created by the trees envelops the listener, immersing them in the experience of a forest under the rain.

The piece opens full of life, with vibrant bird songs and insect sounds filling the air, as on a sunny day. Suddenly, heavy rain begins, silencing the other sounds for a few moments. As the rain persists, new sounds emerge: the calls of amphibians such as the Chilean frog and the four-eyed frog, creating a renewed and constantly evolving sonic texture.

The sonic journey is constructed from soundscape recordings made in the Los Ríos Region of Chile, where the interaction of natural sounds is clearly perceptible: rain falls steadily onto the leaves of the trees, while the damp forest floor amplifies the murmur of this essential element of the Valdivian soundscape. Around the middle of the work, the rain intensifies and becomes the dominant auditory element, partially masking the sounds of birds. However, this sonic layering does not erase their presence; instead, it integrates them into a composition that reflects the dynamic balance of nature. Towards the end, the call of the hued-hued bird emerges strongly, creating a moment of intimate connection between the listener and the local fauna.

The work seeks not only to capture the essence of Valdivia, but also to transport the listener to a place where the interaction of natural elements is deeply tangible. It functions as a reminder of the fragility and beauty of these ecosystems, as well as of the importance of preserving them.

Here you can listen to this work and other compositions from the album.