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Plastic Flowers

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Plastic Flowers
Plastic Flowers live in Berlin, 2014
Born
Georgios Samaras

Thessaloniki, Greece
EducationAristotle University of Thessaloniki (BA)
King's College London (MA, PhD)
Notable work
  • Evergreen (2014)
  • Heavenly (2016)
  • Absent Forever (2017)
StyleDream pop, electronic, experimental
Websitegsamaras.io

Georgios Samaras, better known as Plastic Flowers, is a Greek songwriter and academic at King's College London,[1] who has released three full-length studio albums: Evergreen in 2014,[2][3] Heavenly in 2016[4][5] and Absent Forever in 2017.[6]

Career

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Georgios started recording music on a TASCAM Multi-track and released a series of bedroom pop influenced EPs that have received praise for their lo-fi touch.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

In 2014 his debut album Evergreen was released through Inner Ear Records,[16] and Crash Symbols[17] in Europe and the United States respectively. He later moved to London[18] and recorded his second full-length album Heavenly[19] in November 2015,[20][21] and Absent Forever in 2017, both released via The Native Sound and distributed by Warner.

He became the first Greek act ever to perform at South by Southwest.[22][23] He has also toured USA and Europe and performed live at the Royal Academy of Arts,[24] Fun Fun Fun Fest, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center,[25] Athens Concert Hall and Thessaloniki Concert Hall,[26] and shared the stage with Bonobo, A.R.Kane, Emancipator, Still Corners and others.

On his debut album Evergreen he collaborated with Keep Shelly in Athens[27] and NY-based artist and painter Ed Askew, who also painted the album cover for Heavenly.[28]

Theodoros Pangalos Sample

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In 2012, Plastic Flowers sampled Theodoros Pangalos' controversial ministerial statement "We [government and citizens] fooled away the money together" in Sinking Ship/Vanished Crew.[29]

Academia

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He is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at King's College London.[30][31] As an undergraduate studying German at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki between 2009 and 2014, Samaras read modern and contemporary literature. He later obtained a Master's degree in Education Policy, and a PhD both from King's College London,[32] where he investigated the rise of far-right extremism in Greece during the fiscal crisis.[33] He often contributes to Greek newspapers Kathimerini[34] and Efimerida ton Syntakton,[35] and Euronews.[36]

In June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests in London, he started a campaign against a local school in West Hampstead,[37][38] named after slaver William Beckford. The campaign received coverage from national and local media, and support from British actress Emma Thompson[39] resulting in a name change.[40]

Discography

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LPs

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EPs and singles

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  • Meltdown EP (2011, Cakes and Tapes)
  • White Walls Painted Black – Single (2011, Cakes and Tapes)
  • Natural Conspiracy EP (2012, Cakes and Tapes)
  • Empty Eyes – Single (2012, Bad Panda Records)
  • In You I'm Lost – Single (2012, self-released)
  • Aftermath EP (2013, Manic Pop Records)
  • Fog Song/Silence – Double 7" (2013, Manic Pop Records)
  • Now She's Gone – Single (2014, self-released)
  • Summer of 1992 EP (2015, self-released)
  • Falling Off – Single 7"[42] (2016, The Native Sound)
  • Plastic Flowers - Live at Megaron Mousikis (2023, self-released)

References

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  1. ^ "Dr Georgios Samaras". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  2. ^ Neves, Sergio. "Plastic Flowers Evergreen review". Vice. Portugal. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  3. ^ "CHASSEUR INTERVIEWS MUSIC DUO PLASTIC FLOWERS – Chasseur Magazine". October 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  4. ^ Murray, Robin. "Plastic Flowers – Diver". Clash Magazine. UK. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  5. ^ Phillips, Nicola. "Plastic Flowers Album Premiere". Kaltblut. Germany. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  6. ^ Murray, Robin (13 September 2017). "Premiere: Plastic Flowers – How Can I". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. ^ Robinson, Tom. "Introducing Mixtape". BBC. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  8. ^ Neves, Sergio. "OS PLASTIC FLOWERS PREPARAM-SE PARA O SXSW EM PORTUGAL". VICE Mag. (in Portuguese). Portugal. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  9. ^ "August's best new music from across the MAP". The Guardian. UK. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  10. ^ Evans, Dayna (17 May 2013). "Plastic Flowers – Populists". Impose. USA. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  11. ^ Carson, Dan. "Plastic Flowers – Dead Promises". The Line of Best Fit. UK. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  12. ^ Milton, Jamie. "The Neu Bulletin 20th June 2013". DIY Magazine. UK. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  13. ^ Listen to "Strange Neighbors" by Plastic Flowers, retrieved 7 December 2018
  14. ^ Subscribe. "Tracks: White Denim, Swearin' & More". DIY. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Plastic Flowers "Lucy" (video)". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Evergreen". Inner Ear Records. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Evergreen". Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Interview: Plastic Flowers – Greece – beehype – Best Music from Around the World". beehy.pe. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  19. ^ "10 best songs of the week". For The Win. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  20. ^ Darley, Andrew (25 May 2016). "Heavenly: An Interview with Plastic Flowers". The 405. The 405 Ltd. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  21. ^ Bushell, Glen. "Plastic Flowers: "I like to remind myself that there is a past"". Punktastic. UK. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  22. ^ "SXSW: Plastic Flowers". SXSW. USA. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  23. ^ "SXSW 2017 Adds Nearly 500 Bands to Bill: Sad13, Merchandise, Pill, More". Spin. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  24. ^ "The Academicians' Room Members: RA Schools Curate | Event | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  25. ^ Wedia. "Plastic Flowers". www.snfcc.org (in Greek). Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  26. ^ "PLASTIC FLOWERS". www.tch.gr. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  27. ^ writer, About Dayna Evans Dayna Evans is a; www, editor based in New York full profile/ twitter/ (7 October 2013). "Plastic Flowers, 'Ghosts (feat. Keep Shelly in Athens)' – New Music". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 7 December 2018. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ "Heavenly, by Plastic Flowers". Plastic Flowers. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  29. ^ Palast, Greg. "I upset my least favorite greek minister". VICE Mag. UK. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  30. ^ "Far-right victories in Greece highlight trend across Europe". NBC News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  31. ^ Hume, Tim (27 June 2023). "The Far-Right Just Made a Shock Comeback in Greece". Vice. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  32. ^ "Georgios Samaras". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  33. ^ Tsaliki, Eleftheria (September 2022). "Χρυσή Αυγή: Aπό την τηλεόραση στο YouTube". Inside Story.
  34. ^ "Ανάλυση: Το Black Lives Matter ως πυλώνας αλλαγής, ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΣΑΜΑΡΑΣ* | Kathimerini". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  35. ^ "Η τέχνη τού να έχεις πάντα δίκιο (εν μέσω ενεργειακής κρίσης)". Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών (in Greek). Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  36. ^ "In the most recent election, Greek far right made a sinister comeback". euronews. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  37. ^ Berry, Franki (11 June 2020). "Petition urges West Hampstead primary school to reconsider slave trader name". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  38. ^ "Now primary school could have name changed over slavery link". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  39. ^ "Primary school to drop name of slave owner in wake of BLM protests". Evening Standard. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  40. ^ "Primary school changes name due to links to plantation owner". The Independent. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Heavenly". Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  42. ^ "Feel Everything at Once with Plastic Flowers and "Falling Off" – Noisey". noisey. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
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