IM // UR

BEFORE TODAY by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

It doesn’t take much to make me feel stupid. Trying to find the words to describe the debut album of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at 4AD is just one of many examples I could give you. To me, ‘Before Today’ sounds like an album that Kevin Barnes could be recording if he loved goth bands more than funk ones. Or like the cold wave genre entering a multicoloured psychedelic stage instead of glazing at it's own depression. Don’t mind my threadbare examples; this is the album that will make it onto every interesting top 10 of the year and you don’t wanna miss it.

WE // R \\ WEARING

I can't resist (probably overpriced) basics-with-a-twist. My wardrobe, full of T by Wang, Oak, Bassike and yes, American Apparel is proof of this; and since in Australia, a new favourite has emerged in the form of Nathan Smith. His selection of supersoft tees, tanks and dresses have sucked me into buying multiples of a number of styles in different colourways. You just can't go wrong with these though! Addictively and endlessly wearable - and not in actual fact, overpriced in the slightlest - Nathan Smith is the way forward for your wardrobe.

WE // R \\ WATCHING

I don’t think any series will treat teenagers the same way that Freaks and Geeks did almost 10 years ago. Although relying on every teen American cliché they could, this series was the closest thing to reality you could get whilst still being something fun and interesting to watch – cause, you know, life is boring. With bands like The Who, The Clash and XTC being either part of episodes or the soundtrack, this 80’s based cult show was short-lived (only 18 episodes), but long enough to enrich the careers of some young actors (i.e. James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps and, erm, Linda Cardellini) and is greatly missed. Can we have a movie about them meeting again in the 00’s?

WE // R \\ GOING

Once, a friend of mine wanted to take me to this 'cheap Chinese restaurant', situated in the heart of Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. When we got there the place was packed, but because it looked cheesy and kinda poor, I didn't want to wait it out. It took another friend for me to go back there and fall in love with it. Now, every time the mood for some freshly made noodles (you can watch the chief making the noodle dough through a window) framed in some horribly painted pink walls takes me, I go for Rong He. Did I mention the food is also incredibly generous and cheap?

WE // R \\ READING

The ultimate in peeping tom into other, cooler, more fashionable, richer, quirkier and more-hipster-than-thou lives is Todd Selby's The Selby. Having previously been an internet only voyeur's dream, Todd has just last month released The Selby Is In Your Place, a coffee table tome full of twee drawings, colourful interiors and people showering. Half of the images in the books are favourites from the website and the other is stuff he hasn't published online yet. So go check it out, maybe buy it if you can to make your crappy coffee table in your crappy apartment that little bit cooler with pictures of someone else's cool stuff.

About us

IM // UR is a website with a blog mentality. We are a platform to showcase creativity.

WHAT: We scout and get involved in all that is happening in contemporary emerging art/music/fashion and pop culture on an international scale; from breakthrough talent pushing the boundaries to the long standing inspirations for creatives everywhere. We cut the edge instead of just standing on it.

We think what we do is a type of anthropology that not only documents the zeitgeist, but helps to define it.

WHY: We aim to express opinion freely, to support creativity that we find inspiring and to get a deeper insight on the people that it comes from. We are all looking for something whether we know it or not; be it the newest sound, the newest fashion, the next experience, the newest direction that our lives can take. This is an exploration of all those things and the people who are actively doing so.

WHERE: IM//UR is an international affair coming out of London, UK and Sao Paulo, Brazil; but it is a globally roaming entity that is interested in the latest emerging from all corners of the world.

WHO: IM//UR is Raphael Caffarena (Brazil) and Christel Escosa (UK). Raphael is a music journalist in Sao Paulo and currently writes for major Brazilian music trend portal RRAURL.com. He also previously maintained popular music blog theputzfactory.blogspot.com and is regularly seen interviewing, partying and DJing with the coolest acts to stop by in SP. Christel is an Australian raised and now London based freelance fashion/music/art and culture writer who is currently rollering around for various internationally distributed hi-end and independent fashion and music publications. Like Raphael, she is regularly seen interviewing, partying and faffing in different cities. She was previously music and online editor of cult publication Amelia's Magazine, and then moved to become staff writer and Director of Promotions at 'Sup Magazine. Both are full-time bizzatches.