From its earliest episodes, Melting Mango Radio has felt deeply in tune with BFF.fm’s mission of celebrating underground artists, especially our neighbors in the Bay Area.

Constantly shifting and enigmatic by design, MMR feels like its own living, growing entity in each episode. You can tell that DJ Vibe Master is really passionate about creating a show that really makes you feel the music, with playlists that are both experimental and deeply human.

With an insanely catchy intro song for every episode, the music is much more about the obscure and under-appreciated tracks that might slip past your radar. So if you’re looking for music that actually makes you feel something, DJ Vibe Master knows exactly where to take you.

It’s the kind of show you put on to discover everything you could never find on Spotify (peep the most recent episode: "Can't Find That Sh*$ on Spotify”), a listening experience that turns your morning run or daily commute into an adventure to new musical realms, or maybe even back to yourself. Whether you’re in the mood for something energetic or some intense rock, there’s absolutely an episode for you out there!

You can tune into Melting Mango Radio every Friday morning from 6:00 - 7:00 AM!!

Q: How did Melting Mango Radio start, and where did the idea for the show come from?

A: I’ve always been really into the obscure and the strange, like always. I think it’s really about digging deeper. There’s so much art out there, and there’s so much music that plays on the radio because it’s what people want to hear mainstream-wise. But what is it really doing for us? Where is it really getting you farther in your day?

For me, music is the highest form of human consciousness. I think music can cure things, I think art can heal people, open people’s minds, and I believe that it should seep into the subconscious core of your own realm. A lot of that kind of music lives underground, like BFF.fm. So being able to play more of that stuff, things that wouldn’t normally get airtime, feels really special.

I know everything I play isn’t going to be everyone’s tune, but I’m hoping that somewhere along the way, there’s something you can take home for yourself that changes your mind, helps you open up, or helps them in some way. Because I really do believe music is magic.

Q: Is that how you ended up finding BFF.FM?

A: No, I did a lot of searching when I was younger, not just in music, but in art, mixed media, and film. I was really always looking for the pinnacle of each genre, each different facet that was available, because it really is out there if you look hard enough.

I found BFF.fm through networking and friends. I was DJing a bit with a women’s collective, and I was lucky enough to meet møod ring. So i was able to get connected to the station, which I was really, really lucky to meet such a special individual! When I heard about this underground station, I was like, what is this? Where is it? How do I get involved? It immediately felt like something that aligned with who I am.

Q: Did you already have the concept for the show when you joined?

A: I had some radio background already. When I was doing an audio engineering track at City College of San Francisco and worked on the radio station there. My first show was called Feed Your Head, so I already had a splash of a radio tinge there.

When I heard DJ møod ring talk about BFF.fm as this underground station, I felt like it already had my name on it. From that point, I just wanted to be able to have variety; I knew I didn’t want to be boxed in. I didn’t want to just play rock, or electronic, or any single thing. I wanted the show to be morphic and open, something that could grow and change over time.

That’s why I love the title Melting Mango. It’s a question mark enigma, like, what is that? I want you to lean in. I want it to seem strange; I want the obscure to keep you going. That was how I came up with the idea and why I wanted it to be very different and open to interpretation.

Q: Do you feel like the show has been evolving as you keep hosting it?

A: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes it feels like you’re just talking to yourself in a box, like, is anybody out there? Does anyone even like what I’m playing? But at the same time, it has to evolve. It can’t stay where it started.

It’s kinetic. Like putting a stick in a river, it’s never the same water flowing past. I don’t know what the show will turn into. It could become more of a talk show, a comedy bit, a DJ hour, or just plain damn good music. And I love that I have that space to let it breathe, because this station is special and they really give you that opportunity to literally be yourself and figure it out!

Q: Has hosting the show changed how you interact with music or discover artists?

A: It’s changed things in a funny way outside of just music. I have a lot of music on the back burner, honestly. Hours and weeks worth of it. But what’s really compelling me now is how I connect to the city.

I’ve started bringing bands into the studio, like Wake the Wild from Los Angeles, and having conversations with them. I want to do more of that. I want to bring people into the studio and help make their dreams feel more real by giving them a platform.

I’m still a music junkie, always digging for new sounds, but I’m also thinking more about what people need to hear and how I can help build those connections.

Q: What direction do you want the show to move in?

A: I want to make people laugh. I want to have fun. I want to be obscure, but also real. I want to talk about things honestly, without fluff. I want people to listen and feel like, yeah, I get that. I feel that.

When you hear the DJ having fun on the radio, that energy translates. That’s what I want people to feel when they listen to my show, the passion behind the music and the joy of sharing it.

Q: How do you think about social media and connecting with listeners outside the show?

A: I’m pretty shy, honestly. Social media isn’t really my forte. I’m not the person who posts every little thing about my day. But I do DJ as DJ Vibe Master, and I post my shows and live sets so people can find them.

I want people to feel connected to what I’m doing, even if I’m not posting constantly. I could definitely get better at it, but I try to approach it in a way that feels authentic to me.

Q: How do you imagine people listening to Melting Mango Radio?

A: I don’t really see it as party music. I imagine people listening alone in their room, in their car, on a plane or a train, looking out the window and thinking. It’s for those moments when you need a release or some kind of emotional connection.

That’s when it really works.

Q: What does community radio mean to you now that you’re part of BFF.fm?

A: Being on BFF.fm makes me feel like, all of a sudden, San Francisco is my town. I’m not just a spectator anymore; I’m contributing something to it. Like I’m a part of it, like I’m part of the heartbeat, and I’m making it weirder or cooler or whatever word you want it to be special, to be yours.

I think that community radio just really, really gives you a way to interact with the place you live in and make it your own. It’s a really beautiful way to connect with people, and I feel really grateful to be part of it.

Check out Melting Mango Radio every Friday morning from 6:00 - 7:00 AM!!