The initial material for this work consists exclusively of sounds of nature: a blast of wind, chirping grasshoppers, croaking frogs, voices of birds (not only song) and other animals, human voices, and finally, falling stones and a volcanic eruption.

This digitally recorded material was then submitted to substantial transformations and overlaps, so that in most cases it is no longer recognisable, though its natural origin remains obvious almost throughout.

“Tierra caliente” (Spanish for hot land) is a term used in Latin America for the hottest lowlands in the tropics, most of which boast an abundant wildlife. The term also corresponds to the way of living typical of that climate, with hot nights and days under the scorching sun. The work was commissioned by the Polish Radio and produced at the Polish Radio Experimental Studio in Warsaw in the spring of 1982. It is dedicated to my friends in Mexico. The sound was coproduced by Ewa Guziołek.

Włodzimierz Kotoński

(from the 1993 Warsaw Autumn programme book)