SAM002 // ‘Florist’ by Ilithios

Ilithios, which translates as “idiot” in Greek, was born in Queens, New York. Raised between there and Greece by his Korean mother and Greek father, he perpetually found himself working to find how he could connect with any of the cultures of his blended background. As a result, he often leaned into differences, finding space where he could be himself in the uncomfortable cultural gaps he experienced. This search for identity forged a unique sense of self where the ability to perform helped to overcome insecurities, while his existence between cultures gave him an ability to view things from an askew perspective. The result is a larger than life, seemingly “pop” persona under which he’s able to smuggle a weary, yet uncynical, set of sensibilities.

Those who’ve seen one of the several livestream performances Ilithios has produced during quarantine recognize an artist striving to satisfy not only an audience, but his own desire to challenge himself to do something bigger and better than the norm. Each event– as much performance art as anything–is something of a crucible of musical and technological challenges, pushing the limits of what you might expect from the format.

Now, that desire to push himself has resulted in a full-length album called ‘Florist’–thirteen tracks, produced before and during the pandemic. The lead single and title track (as well as the accompanying music video), with its themes of feeling out of sync and never feeling satisfied or satisfying, perhaps perfectly captures both the persona behind it and the voice behind the album as a whole. The single also features additional vocals by Ana Becker, from the band Catty (which features Ilithios on bass).

Released by new labels Totally Real Records and Stereoactive Media, while also financially backed by Stereoactive Media,Ilithios’ debut album is the first marker laid down in an already planned artistic journey that will rather quickly include two further releases that are already in the works.