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One-Hit Wonders: Garden's 'Shot'
Revibed Editorial Team
One-hit Wonder
Music Review
Some songs feel like they were made to echo across summers—heard once on a night drive, then etched into memory forever. Released in 1990, Κήπος’ (Garden) self-titled album is one of those rare records that slipped quietly into the world but stayed resonant for those who heard it. Its opening track, “Σφηνάκι” (“Shot”), the album’s standout track, still hums with the energy of Athens at night—youthful, a little reckless, and full of yearning.
Built on the breezy, understated brilliance of Alexandros Veis (previously known for his work with the UK-based duo Fantastic Something) and the streetwise lyrics of Konstantinos Koulouvatos, the track opens as a flirtatious encounter in a smoky bar that quickly unfolds into something more introspective. There’s movement, heat, and suggestion, but also a deeper melancholy and emotional disorientation. It’s a song that captures a moment: drinks, glances, movement, a body swaying, a heart stirred.
While Veis’ composition pairs subtle synth textures and melodic guitar with a laid-back rhythm that invites the listener in, Marina Skiadaresi’s chorus voice adds to its dreamy, detached vibe. It’s a snapshot of a time when nightlife felt looser and less filtered, when love—or something like it—could be found in a glance and lost just as easily in the next beat.
The album as a whole is an overlooked jewel of Greek alternative music. Produced by Xenophon Rarakos and recorded at Studio In, it reflects a unique blend of introspective songwriting and gentle pop structures, with hints of new wave and indie pop that were rare for the local scene at the time. “Σφηνάκι” became a modest radio hit—before playlists were bought and airwaves homogenized—and it remains a gem of Athens’ short-lived dream pop scene.
Κήπος never released a follow-up, making this the band’s only statement. But what a statement it was—an album that manages to feel both carefree and playful. “Σφηνάκι” is just the beginning of a record that deserves to be rediscovered, again and again.
Built on the breezy, understated brilliance of Alexandros Veis (previously known for his work with the UK-based duo Fantastic Something) and the streetwise lyrics of Konstantinos Koulouvatos, the track opens as a flirtatious encounter in a smoky bar that quickly unfolds into something more introspective. There’s movement, heat, and suggestion, but also a deeper melancholy and emotional disorientation. It’s a song that captures a moment: drinks, glances, movement, a body swaying, a heart stirred.
While Veis’ composition pairs subtle synth textures and melodic guitar with a laid-back rhythm that invites the listener in, Marina Skiadaresi’s chorus voice adds to its dreamy, detached vibe. It’s a snapshot of a time when nightlife felt looser and less filtered, when love—or something like it—could be found in a glance and lost just as easily in the next beat.
The album as a whole is an overlooked jewel of Greek alternative music. Produced by Xenophon Rarakos and recorded at Studio In, it reflects a unique blend of introspective songwriting and gentle pop structures, with hints of new wave and indie pop that were rare for the local scene at the time. “Σφηνάκι” became a modest radio hit—before playlists were bought and airwaves homogenized—and it remains a gem of Athens’ short-lived dream pop scene.
Κήπος never released a follow-up, making this the band’s only statement. But what a statement it was—an album that manages to feel both carefree and playful. “Σφηνάκι” is just the beginning of a record that deserves to be rediscovered, again and again.
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