Microtone

Arranger of music and music-like audio on KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley since 2010

10/21/2024

In Chinese, a 知音 is an intimate friend, a soul mate, one who listens closely to your tones and resonates in perfect harmony. Michael Henning, a.k.a. DJ Megasoup on , was that friend for so many of us. I am honored to have been his partner, riding tandem on the same wavelength for ten beautiful years.

Michael first made an impression on me at , when he approached me in the world music section. That was often my haven after crappy days in grad school and maybe he sensed my need for random kindness. We met more properly via mutual friend in 2014, and a few months later, I heard him DJ as and something magical was sparked that eve…

Back then, I was on KALX as the Native Disinformant and serving as DJ training co-director. Before pre-recorded archives, we had to schedule reluctant trainees in graveyard shifts, or cover those shifts ourselves. Between my own scheduled shows and unfilled training shifts, I ended up doing 89 radio shifts that year. Michael was actually the DJ at the board, with me in sleepy but rapt attendance, for about a dozen of those shifts. If he wasn’t in the studio with me, he was out there listening live to nearly every single one of my shows. We never stopped wooing each other by playlists, which, y’know, happened to sound awesome when broadcast for all to share. 💓

In 2017, I became Microtone, and he re-joined KALX as Megasoup, bringing a wealth of experience from his years at Amoeba, as a musician, a sonic traveler and curator, a chattering archive of knowledge. Michael taught me to love with open heart and mind, to engage in community, to listen to the tones between the tones - in music, in sound, in emotional expression and spaces internal. We both came to KALX having done freeform college radio as undergrads, adamant in championing diversity, experimentation, and exploration. He really pushed me to hone the art of DJing, and also supported so many efforts to make our radio station and music communities better.

Michael leaves a legacy that we’ll be processing for generations to come. Please keep your ears open and stay tuned — we will not hear the last of Megasoup for a long, long time.

09/13/2024

EAST COAST - I’m headed your way! I’m packing my bags and getting ready to travel to the DC area and southern Maryland for my first cross-state DJ gig! Professor Krystyn Moon (History & American Studies, U of ) and I will be reprising a talk and musical set we did in SF Chinatown during the pandemic — but this time in person at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for a 🌕 Moon Festival 🪩 event presented by the college’s Asian Studies Series.

We’d love to see you in the audience next Thursday 9/19, 4:45 to 6:30 PM Eastern Time!

Never would I have imagined that college radio and my seemingly esoteric interests through undergrad and graduate studies would have led to gigs like this. I’m just thrilled for this opportunity to expand horizons, for the audience and for myself, in this fun and festive way. Looking forward to new meets, eats, and beats! 🎑🥮💃🏻

09/10/2024

About to do my LAST SHOW… before going on break for a couple months. Taking over at 9:30 AM Pacific Time until noon!

Also, we’re recruiting UC students to join this campus radio station! Deets on our recruitment fliers and on our website!

📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
🔊 KALX.Berkeley.edu

08/27/2024

Quiet halls and shiny floors the day before fall semester classes begin at UC Berkeley. Let’s go!

Microtone on at 9:30 AM to noon
📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
🔊 KALX.Berkeley.edu

and

07/23/2024

Hey, it’s been a bit, and I’m here at and ready to play some tunes for you! On at 9:30 AM at 90.7 FM KALX Berkeley and streaming live online at kalx.berkeley.edu

07/09/2024

Microtone is out this Tuesday, and a most splendid sub has been arranged for your listening pleasure. Tune in to this morning from 9:30 AM to noon on KALX Berkeley 90.7 FM! 📻

and

07/02/2024

TUNES happening SOON on
90.7 FM Berkeley
KALX.berkeley.edu

Microtone on air from 9:30AM to NOON

06/25/2024

All the coolest kits tune in to 📻
Microtone on air 9:30 AM to noon
90.7 FM Berkeley
KALX.Berkeley.edu
🐈‍⬛

and

06/18/2024

Shifting from weekend party vibes 😎 to office work ambiance 🤓 this morning on
9:30 AM to noon

📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
🔊 kalx.berkeley.edu for our live stream

06/14/2024

What are you doing Friday night?? I’m going to be in SF Chinatown chomping on some ART BITES, a Chinatown Art Block Party presented by with . Come check out the action on Grant Street tomorrow from 5:30 to 9 pm! It’s going to be an evening of eclectic performances, music, and pop-up art by and and I’ll be playing some tunes throughout. Stroll on by and say hi!

06/11/2024

Tunes for kittens and all the cool cats on a hot Tuesday morning, 9:30 am to noon on

📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
🔊 kalx.Berkeley.edu

05/28/2024

I brought just one record from my personal collection today - the soundtrack to Snoopy Come Home, to be played in tribute of Richard Sherman who just passed away. Everything else comes from the KALX library — I gotta lot to catch up on having been gone for a couple weeks!

On 9:30 AM to noon Pacific Time
90.7 FM
KALX.berkeley.edu

and

04/30/2024

KALX is so grateful to all our wonderful donors who showed up during the last couple week of our spring fundraiser! 🙌👏🫶 Y’all make it possible for us to return to our regularly IRregular, eclectic, freeform programming for another year! I’ll be back to do a “normal” show this morning, Tuesday at 9:30 AM until noon, and wow do I have a lot of new music to catch up on!!

📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
🔊 kalx.berkeley.edu

and

04/27/2024

Microtone appreciates all our fabulous KALX donors during our spring fundraiser!! There was SO MUCH going on during ‘s Wednesday fundraiser show that I’m afraid we missed one that day, so were naming a kitten after him instead, as I’ve been doing for my Tuesday 4/23 donors.

So last but not least, thank you to —
DAVID, a regal marmalade tabby whose idea of a good time is relaxing to tuuuunes on the radio

and

DECOY GALLERINA, who requested to name her kittens FREE.PALESTINE+NO.MORE.MURDER.OF.INDIGENOUS.WOMEN. Name says it all.

Post 7 of 7. Catch y’all on the radio next week for more on-air thanks!

04/26/2024

Microtone appreciates all our fabulous KALX donors during our spring fundraiser!! There was SO MUCH going on during ‘s Wednesday fundraiser show that I’m afraid we missed one that day, so were naming a kitten after him instead, as I’ve been doing for my Tuesday 4/23 donors.

So last but not least, thank you to —

DAVID, a regal marmalade tabby whose idea of a good time is relaxing to tuuuunes on the radio

and

DECOY GALLERINA, who requested to name her kittens FREE.PALESTINE+NO.MORE.MURDER.OF.INDIGENOUS.WOMEN. Name says it all.

Post 7 of 7. Catch y’all on the radio next week for more on-air thanks!!

04/26/2024

Microtone is here to appreciate all the wonderful KALX donors who pitched in during her 4/23
fundraiser show, including (Post 6 of 7) —

ANONYMOUS, a tightly-wound brown tabby who is going to make you work to win their trust, and it’s going to be so gratifying when that happens
ANONYMOUS, a quiet tortie who likes to burrow under the couch cover so WATCH OUT before you sit on that little moving lump
RADIOZILLA!, the orange tabby kitten named after the East Asian modern and popular music show at Ann Arbor where Microtone got her start! 😻🫶

04/26/2024

Microtone and these kittens appreciate all the wonderful KALX donors, especially these awesome folks who donated on Tuesday 4/23 between 9 AM and noon (Post 5 of 7):

WONDER, the poofed up calico who cannot unsee what they just witnessed 🙀
SARAH, the grey tabby kitten who falls asleep best with music, and on top of music
BEN, the black and white athletic kitty who’s gonna destroy your drapes if you leave the house without leaving on to keep them company

04/26/2024

Microtone’s donor appreciation post 4 of 7, in which these wonderful kittens are being named after —

JONAH, the black and white angel kitten who has never scratched up a couch or table leg or curtain or a record collection, nope, never!!
LAUREL, a brown tabby darling who was born a runt but learned to burrow and hide in places none of her siblings would ever think of exploring
SHAUN, a nearly-grey brown tabby with fabulous belly stripes and who knows how to sleep with both eyes open

04/26/2024

Microtone’s donor appreciation post 3 of 7, where we’re naming kittens after the wonderful KALX donors who pitched in during their Tuesday 4/23 show, like —

KATHRYN, the softest white kitten who’s here to listen to your day’s juiciest news
JERRY, the brawny brown and white tabby who likes to snooze on freshly dried laundry
MEGAKITTEN, the 3 lb-pound brown tabby who is just waiting for his 1.5 pound siblings to catch up to his mighty size so they can all go to get spayed and neutered together
CATNACKI, a strange tuxedo kitten who is not repelled by, but rather drawn to noise, and shows a special affinity for inappropriately bowed and scraped sonic objects

04/26/2024

Microtone kitten-naming donor appreciation post 2 of 7! THANK YOU to —

BECCA and KT the KITTI, a wise-eyed tortie who really isn’t silently judging you, despite her stern demeanor
KEITH, a white and brown tabby whose furry toebeans taste so delicious
CASEY, a black and white semi-feral escape artist who has thoughts about this whole domesticated pet thing…

04/26/2024

THANK YOU to all of our amazing donors to !! You’ve made our week super special, and I hope everyone’s feeling good heading into this weekend, knowing you did your part to support freeform college and community radio for another year.

As promised, I’ve got a flood of KITTENS to name after all the fabulous donors during Tuesday 9 AM to noon. Thanks so much to —

ANN, the grey plushball who’s always curious about the groceries you bring home
JAMES, the orange tabby who climbed the highest pole of the cat tree and now doesn’t know how to get down
MARK, the black and white armful who traps you in place by falling asleep on top of you

(Post 1 of 7)

04/24/2024

All y’all KALX donors are amazing. I’m going to be busy with SO MANY KITTENS to name in honor of those who hit the kalx.berkeley.edu/donate button during my show — to be posted here towards the end of the week. Before I get to all that, I gotta return once more to feed the kitty TOMORROW, Wednesday 4/24 from 4-6pm when I’ll be joining DJ Tiger Lily to support her show! One more day until fundraiser’s end! Let’s go!!! 😸🐱🐯

and

04/23/2024

EDIT: Y'all are amazing!! I'm going to have so many kittens to name!!

Today’s the day!! 🤑 On in about 30 minutes to raise some funds for with . Listen LIVE at 90.7 FM Berkeley and kalx.berkeley.edu 💸💸

and

04/22/2024

So I haven’t actually done my own fundraiser shows in a few years, derailed by the pandemic and life busy-ness. Yet KALX has been there and stood by me, by ALL of us, over these strange and eventful times. I’m getting wistful and reflective and giddy and celebratory just thinking about KALX, listening to all my fellow DJs deliver some of their best programming of the year. Hope you’ll join me LIVE on the radio tomorrow, Tuesday 4/23 from 9:30 AM to noon Pacific Time when I will take my turn to share what’s special about our campus and community radio station! will banter with me and ask for your monetary support 💵🙏💰 It’s gonna be fun!! 🤑

📻 KALX 90.7 FM Berkeley
💸 kalx.berkeley.edu/donate

and

Address

University Of
Berkeley, CA
94720

Opening Hours

12pm - 3pm

Telephone

+15106425259

Website

https://widgets.spinitron.com/KALX/dj/169776/Microtone

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Videos

Lights on! I’m on at 9:30 AM Pacific Time this Tuesday morning on @kalxradio 90.7 FM Berkeley and streaming online at KALX.Berkeley.edu

Microtone has arranged another splendid sub for you this Tuesday morning. Please tune in for @kalxcontrolissues on at 9:30 AM after this fascinating feature on Cal’s Older Wiser Learners 🦉group now on Berkeley Brainwaves! @kalxradio 90.7 FM Berkeley KALX.Berkeley.edu #ucberkeley and #listenersupportedradio #freeformradio #campusmedia #collegeradio #olderwiserlearners

It’s Day 2 of the @kalxradio spring fundraiser, and yes, earlier I accidentally posted a vid of my foster kittens reenacting the in-studio antics of Tiger Lily and Sparklemotion’s fabulous Tuesday afternoon show. 😹 We’re having fun listening to KALX all week and into the next! Fundraiser lasts through April 24th, and I’ll be taking my turn on the air next Tuesday and Wednesday. I’ll post more later. Back to socializing the kittens with the tunes and voices on the radio… 📻 90.7 FM Berkeley 💸 KALX.Berkeley.edu/donate

@spacemoth__ about to go on at 11 AM with @kalxcontrolissues . Turn on @kalxradio 90.7 FM Berkeley or kalx.berkeley.edu/live-streaming for sound! #kalx #kalxlive #ucberkeley and #listenersupportedradio

Just played this @simon.popp record on @kalxradio … Most beautiful packaged piece of vinyl of the day! 🥰 #beautifulpackaging

Prepping for my Best of KALX show, Tuesday morning 1/24 at 9 AM. That means I now have less than 12 hours to figure out how I’m going to cram my currently 25-hour long playlist into a three hour show 🤣 Uff, never enough time to get to it all. Hear what makes the cut at 90.7 FM Berkeley 📻 or streaming online at KALX.Berkeley.edu. Best of 2022 lists are now online too!

Popping up for another Sunday morning mix tomorrow at 8 am! 📻 @kalxradio 90.7 FM 🔊 kalx.Berkeley.edu/live-streaming #campusradio #collegeradio #freeformradio #sundaymornings at #kalxfm #ucberkeley and #listenersupportedradio

Whoa, apparently I got back to Berkeley just in time for some creepy stuff to happen at midnight TONIGHT 🙀. Go to KALX.Berkeley.edu/donate starting at 0000 hours to see how to keep our lights on this Halloween… 👻💀🧟‍♀️