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