#368: Avalon Emerson

Cities Skylines, Vaer Watches, Multicolor Pelican Cases, and more.

Perfectly Imperfect is a newsletter offering “A Taste of Someone’s Taste” from guests like Charli XCX, John Cale, Julian Casablancas, Lena Dunham, Mac Demarco, Dasha Nekrasova, Tim Heidecker, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Imperioli, Rayne Fisher-Quann, Mel Ottenberg, Chloe Cherry, Matty Matheson, Anna Delvey, The Dare, Caroline Calloway, Snail Mail, and more. Check out our full archive here.

Cool people like cool things, which is why we asked Avalon Emerson to share a taste of her taste on Perfectly Imperfect.

Avalon Emerson is a Berlin/Bushwick/Catskills-based DJ and musician who’s produced remixes for legends such as Robyn, Four Tet, Fever Ray, and Slowdive, is a regular at Berghain, and played festivals like Coachella and Pitchfork, all while crafting an impressive discography of killer dance beats. With her last album, & the Charm, Avalon found a new sound that’s celestial, lush, and dreamy, and I can’t get enough of it. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year and I think you’ll like it too. On October 7th Perfectly Imperfect is co-presenting Avalon’s 9000 Dreams show (festival?) at the Knockdown Center where there’ll be live performances from her & her band + PI favorites such as Fcukers, Sadie, and Stranger Ranger, and DJ sets deep into the night. Lucky for us, Avalon is here to tell us what she’s been into.

Without further ado

Avalon Emerson (instagram, tiktok)

🏙 Cities Skylines

It’s not a game, it’s a simulator. I discovered it this year and it’s one of the only things that lets me mentally check out. Designing five-way six-lane highway exchanges and water treatment systems for 100k digital citizens brings me calm. The metropolis I’m working on right now is called Dirt Roadington, but by now I have upgraded all the dirt roads to nice ones lined with trees and bike lanes. Pairs well with the slight oxygen deprivation of an airplane ride.

🍦 The Bufala Ice Cream at Gazzo in Neukolln

This place became my band’s and my comfort spot in Berlin while we were homebasing it there this summer. The Frisch gestrudeltes Softeis aus Brandenburger Büffelmilch (with shortbread cookies and olive oil, with or without the lemon curd) is the best ice cream I’ve ever had. My mother in law keeps chasing the dragon in Manhattan trying to find a comparable one. Her search continues.

⏱ Vaer Watches

Something happened over the last year or so and I started really appreciating watches. As a computer musician and dj I’ve felt a more emotional appreciation for precise time-telling, even though my wife tells me I’m “time-blind”. My daily driver right now is the Vaer D5 Tropic Automatic, I love the tuxedo dial and roulette red date window. Plus it was designed in California and assembled in Arizona just like me!

💾 OWC Envoy Pro Mini

OP Endgame hard drive and peripheral company run out of Chicago. FKA Other World Computing, they make the absolute best DJ USB drive.

🐄 Dinner at Bovina Farm and Fermentory

One of the most luxurious meals I had all last year, kept me warm until spring. 4+ course dinner with drink pairings, all local fare from the catskills, hosted in a beautiful farmhouse of the couple who make all the dishes and beer. Seats fill up quick, I would even say it’s worth the drive all the way from the city.

🌝 Rummikub

My favorite board game, 2nd place Catan, 3rd place Bohnanza.

🏳️‍🌈 Multicolor Pelican Cases from Color Case

I travel far more than the average human should, so I appreciate a good piece of luggage, and as a DJ-turned-touring musican with a band, I now know the supremacy of the pelican air, and they come in amazing colors these days. They look so good I want to eat them.

BONUS (🎙) Avalon recommendation for paid subs below