‘Wonky But Well-Rounded Music Selections’: DJ Small FRY Readies A Celebration Of Asian Culture For Sydney Observatory's Moon Festival

DJ Small FRY shares her name with slang, “small fry” being a term that can refer to something tiny or insignificant – but her mission is anything but.

The Melbourne-based artist wears a vast array of vibrant hats. The renaissance woman is not only an expert DJ, she also manages musicians Rainbow Chan and Yeo, co-runs Big Bao, the artist collective renowned for crafting events that illuminate the talents of Asian-Australian artists and artists of colour, and hosts the 3RRR radio show Mooncake every Wednesday from midnight until the wee hours. 

Considered a trailblazer in the Australian music industry, Small Fry – or Vivan Vo – celebrates diverse sounds from Asia including Asian-Australian artists and music from Tokyo to Taipei, Seoul to Saigon and more. Her resumé is quite the mouthful.

She discusses juggling all of these different mediums, and the common motivating factor amongst all of them. “I'm an advocate for diversity and platforming Asian artists and music, and I aim to do this across Big Bao, Mooncake and Small FRY DJ sets,” she says. 

“The music I play on Mooncake greatly inspires and informs my DJ sets. These selections will then feed into the curation of artists we book for Big Bao events and parties.” There is clearly a synchronicity to her approach.

When it comes to being a radio host, she describes herself as being “known for my wonky but well-rounded music selections.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Powerhouse Museum (@powerhousemuseum)

In a nutshell, she says, “Mooncake features new music, sometimes there's a revisit to ‘80s city pop or ‘90s cantopop if the moment calls for it. But I'm mainly searching for new music. Mooncake is genre fluid, from pop to experimental industrial, psychedelic jazz and lately discovering more South Asian club music.”

It’s an eclectic mix, but she can always pinpoint what kind of sound she’s looking for. “I love artists who make music as a way to connect with, learn from or pay homage to culture and identity,” she adds. “At the same time, I just love a straight-up pop song and club banger.”

Contributing to visibility, crafting cross-cultural connections, exploring the complexities of diasporic identities, and laying down a sick beat are Small FRY’s prime values.

Small FRY initially got into DJing whilst at university. “I first became a selector as a radio broadcaster at SYN Radio during uni and started Mooncake on 3RRR in 2020,” she remembers.
Somewhere in between, my housemate had decks in the garage and I started learning how to mix just for fun. My first DJ set was in 2017 for a friend's 30th party and I've been booked ever since.”

When it comes to the early musical influences, Small FRY’s formative tastes were largely impacted by the diverse offerings at home.

“Growing up in the ‘90s, my mum watched a variety show called Paris By Night,” she recalls. “It was a concert including performances of traditional Vietnamese folk songs, pop music and comedy skits. At the time, I found it all very tacky and didn't enjoy the music but it was always on at home.”

This colourful genre cross-over was clearly a huge inspiration to her. “I'm only realising now how formative this was, with DJs and producers remixing and sampling these songs. Playing these contemporary reworks of traditional sounds on Mooncake and hearing them in clubs has solidified it in my musical history and is a full circle moment.”

Her commitment to championing Asian and female electronic and left-field pop music is unwavering. When asked how she thinks the Australia music industry could be better supporting artists of the Asian-Australian diaspora, she urges listeners to look outside of their bubble and set a challenge of looking for something new and different.

“I guarantee you will find one or two or more artists of the Asian-diaspora you will love,” she says. 

To Australian artists of Asian descent who are trying to break into what is clearly a Western-dominated industry, she imparts some sound advice; “Be firm in who you are and what your sound is. Grow and progress, but you don't need to mold yourself to cater to the Western industry or some other pocket that isn't true to you.”

The musical polymath has an exhilarating month coming up. From September 30th to October 2nd, the iconic heritage-listed Sydney Observatory is set to transform in celebration of Moon Festival, and Small FRY is going to be a crucial part of the festivities.

A significant lunar event in many Asian cultures, characterised by gratitude offerings to ancestors and feasting at harvest time, Moon Festival will see Sydney Observatory host lantern-making workshops, lantern parades, lion dances, and stalls full of mouthwatering Vietnamese street food. 

Then, on the closing night of Thursday, October 2nd, the observatory will be saturated with Small FRY’s expertly-curated, bumping tunes. She is clearly looking forward to the revelry. 

“I'm really excited to bring my show Mooncake to Moon Festival,” she gushes. “The program is filled with so many fun things to do. The lion and dragon dances are my favourite, so I'll be looking forward to that. Also making my own lantern. And eating mooncakes, of course.”

DJ sets must require intense, hyper energy to formulate that party atmosphere – how does she get herself properly pumped up for that kind of setting?

“I enjoy time with myself, reading or watching K-dramas. That's how I would be spending the day before and after a performance, preserving energy or recovering,” she explains. “To get pumped up in the moments before my set, I'll be watching the DJ before me play and getting in the mood to dance.”

She gives us a sneak peak at a few tracks she will without a doubt be playing on the night – Hoàng Thùy Linh’s See Tình (the Cukak Remix) and APT by Rosé and Bruno Mars. To find out what else she will be playing, midnight revellers will have to be at the festival in the flesh, tapping their feet while soaked in the papery glow of lanterns.

For those planning to celebrate the night in style, small FRY’s clues us in on her top five night-out essentials. Listing them off, she says, “1. Chapstick and/or lipgloss 2. Eye drops 3. Scrunchie 4. Sneakers 5. Small useless handbag with at least one plushie keychain.”

For Small Fry, this next month will be hectic, but she’s gearing up for some much deserved rest. 

“I'm travelling to Vietnam at the end of the year, strictly for vacation,” she confirms. “I'm looking forward to experiencing the local music and club scene. 

“There are V-Pop artists I would love to see live if they're performing, like tlinh, Mỹ Anh, Suboi and 2pillz,” she closes. “I love hearing K-Pop out so if there's a K-Pop club night, that would be a fun night out.”

This trip away will surely be invigorating, inspiring, and hopefully relaxing. But there’s no doubt that when she returns, she will be back on her feet, spinning those discs.

For more information about Sydney Observatory’s Moon Festival and to register attendance, head along to the Powerhouse Museum website