In line with our frequency-themed compilation title, the latest instalment of Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape promises to tickle your senses with a fine selection of tweaked tunes oscillating between fragile folk and feel-good pop to cover the entire gamut of the emotional and genre-encompassing frequency spectrum.

The result of eight weeks’ research and intense scouring of the international music scene, Fine Frequencies opens with a stadium-worthy alt rock anthem by all-caps band YOUNG and continues to draw us in with New Spell’s haunting and melodic indie electro, infectious IDM glitch pop by Berlin duo Audiophil and the hypnagogic dream pop sounds of Chicago wunderkind Moon River. Shaking us out of this soothing reverie, San Francisco’s Dpbts! balance the frequency scale with their infectious alternative pop and make a fine foil for Leanne Kelly’s bittersweet piano gem or Daniel Pain’s driven, heartfelt folk pop. Equally folky and melancholic, TimsDepartment segues into Warm Speakers’ spine-tingling dream pop from New York city to pave the way for a brass and strings infused indie finale by Estonian quintet Odd Hugo. A veritable rollercoaster from dynamic to dreamy and back again, the compilation nevertheless captures the combined talent and enthusiasm of all involved. Fine Frequencies, indeed!

On hand to capture these aural amplitudes is Stuttgart-based artist KDP who translates the digital origins of our compilation, awaiting free streaming and download from a digital device or computer near you, into a great example of authentic analogue craftsmanship: To realise his meticulous cover design, he took apart more than twenty laptop keyboards and then reassembled the spoils into a painstakingly precise collage of 1024 individual keys depicting a buzzing aural frequency curve. Puzzled together by hand, the resulting cover photograph consists of 50 individual images in a prime example of old school pixel art. 

Last, but not least, we could not have done it without the amazing support and contributions of all those who keep Mixed Tape exciting – the featured musicians and this edition’s cover artist. A huge, heartfelt thank you from all of us at Mixed Tape Music and mb! by Mercedes-Benz.