"A glorious mix of the epic and the understated. Rainbow Lights is a beautiful, sweeping, heartfelt delight with both micro and macro songs that get better with every listen."
"The video is as pensive and beautifully paced as the track itself, and seems to represent thoughts of our childhood and that children are our future “We carry our past, each a world of its own, though it goes fast, I know it will last” which seems to echo Karl’s own gentle optimism for our collective future “One of billions, one of everyone, home to all us, home to all we know”."
"Sweden’s Karl Vento is mysteriously intense and hard to place. His voice is keening, and there are suggestions of Neil Young but there are also pop structures."
“Rainbow Lights carries a certain visionary halo. Something oblique that animates the universe, revealing all the expressive power of the elements.”
"This is a Goldilocks of an album with everything from instruments and effects placed perfectly with the precision of a watch maker. But despite this attention to detail the album never sounds laboured or over-worked as there is a looseness which imbues the tracks with an abundance of humanity."
Release: Karl Vento’s debut album
For former background figure Karl Vento, years of dammed up creativity has finally burst forth. His open-hearted songs have now been released on debut album Rainbow Lights.
For over a decade, Karl Vento has appeared as an indispensable backing musician to artists Anna von Hausswolff, Sumie, Det Stora Monstret and Anna Ran. But what would be the result if he had instead focused that energy on his own creations—no one knew. Least of all himself. After years of having subdued his own creativity, Karl Vento has now given us this very open-hearted debut album. An album which, for the artist himself, came to function as a catalyst in his own process of inward exploration and soul searching.
As for the music, Rainbow Lights consists of eight songs that are written and partly recorded in Karl Vento's home. There, throughout the making of the album, prisms hanging in the kitchen window were projecting light onto the walls; sunbeams splitting into all the colors of the rainbow. In parallel, light was also reflected through Karl himself. On this album, all his colors are made visible for the very first time. A first time for him. A first time also for the lucky listener who now gets to see Karl Vento in full.
Rarelyhas such a project - one that seeks to heal a person’s soul - resulted in something so inviting. In Karl Vento's world, you are made alert, but at the same time feel comforted and taken care of. You are led and seduced, spun around - yet always land smoothly on solid ground. Behind the airy music you will find sophisticated arrangements and rich harmonies. And the dreamy, swaying soundscape is characterized by Karl Vento's disarming vocals, equilibristic guitar playing, relaxed toms and focused bass lines.
To further adorn this musical gown, producer Filip Leyman (known for his work with Anna von Hausswolff, Erki Pärnoja, Sumie and Albert af Ekenstam, among others) has put his skillful touch to the arrangements, synths, percussions, strings and the final mixing. And as an added texture, a specially tailored collection of stage outfits - by costume designer and tailor Helena Lundström will be presented in connection to the album release, complementing the musical work of art.
Thus, we finally see Karl Vento, with all the colors of the stage light, directed atthe entirety ofhis spectrum.
Rainbow Lights was released on the 4th of November 2022 as a numbered vinyledition through Karls own label Perseiderna Records. Order here:
(EU) https://www.bengans.eu/en/artiklar/karl-vento-rainbow-lights.html
(Outside EU) https://www.bengans.com/en/artiklar/karl-vento-rainbow-lights.html
Live dates 2024:
14/3 - @SXSW Stephen F´s Bar - 10 PM, Austin, Texas (USA)
15/3 - @Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social - 3:15 PM, Austin, Texas (USA)
Photos - Linnea Wilhelmsson, Donovan von Martens & Sandra Nagano
Costume - Helena Lundström
Words and music - Karl Vento
Additional words on track 1, 2, 4, 5 - Sandra Nagano
Produced, arranged and recorded by - Karl Vento & Filip Leyman in Filips studio and in Karls home
Mix - Filip Leyman
Mastered by - Hans Olsson
Performed by -
Karl Vento - vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer, piano, glockenspiel
Filip Leyman - drums, percussion, synthesizer, violin, modular synth, bass, tape machine
Sandra Nagano - vocals on ”My Debt”
Johan Hjalmarsson - percussion on “Out of Control”
Artwork & Layout - Anders Olofson
Costume - Helena Lundström
Financed with support from The Swedish Arts Council
Script and directed by Rita Nettelstad
D.O.P. and edited by Donovan von Martens
Costume by Helena Lundström
Jack Ejeby Söderblom as the boy
Filmed at Kronhuset Kreativ Arena - Gothenburg, Sweden Words and music by Karl Vento
Produced, arranged, recorded & performed by Filip Leyman & Karl Vento
All rights reserved / Perseiderna Records 2022
"Sweden’s Karl Vento is mysteriously intense and hard to place. His voice is keening, and there are suggestions of Neil Young but there are also pop structures."
(swedish press release below)
Release: Karl Vento’s debut album
For former background figure Karl Vento, years of dammed up creativity has finally burst forth. His open-hearted songs have now been released on debut album Rainbow Lights.
For over a decade, Karl Vento has appeared as an indispensable backing musician to artists Anna von Hausswolff, Sumie, Det Stora Monstret and Anna Ran. But what would be the result if he had instead focused that energy on his own creations—no one knew. Least of all himself. After years of having subdued his own creativity, Karl Vento has now given us this very open-hearted debut album. An album which, for the artist himself, came to function as a catalyst in his own process of inward exploration and soul searching.
As for the music, Rainbow Lights consists of eight songs that are written and partly recorded in Karl Vento's home. There, throughout the making of the album, prisms hanging in the kitchen window were projecting light onto the walls; sunbeams splitting into all the colors of the rainbow. In parallel, light was also reflected through Karl himself. On this album, all his colors are made visible for the very first time. A first time for him. A first time also for the lucky listener who now gets to see Karl Vento in full.
Rarely has such a project - one that seeks to heal a person’s soul - resulted in something so inviting. In Karl Vento's world, you are made alert, but at the same time feel comforted and taken care of. You are led and seduced, spun around - yet always land smoothly on solid ground. Behind the airy music you will find sophisticated arrangements and rich harmonies. And the dreamy, swaying soundscape is characterized by Karl Vento's disarming vocals, equilibristic guitar playing, relaxed toms and focused bass lines.
To further adorn this musical gown, producer Filip Leyman (known for his work with Anna von Hausswolff, Erki Pärnoja, Sumie and Albert af Ekenstam, among others) has put his skillful touch to the arrangements, synths, percussions, strings and the final mixing. And as an added texture, a specially tailored collection of stage outfits - by costume designer and tailor Helena Lundström will be presented in connection to the album release, complementing the musical work of art.
Thus, we finally see Karl Vento, with all the colors of the stage light, directed at the entirety of his spectrum.
Rainbow Lights was released on the 4th of November 2022 as a numbered vinyledition through Karls own label Perseiderna Records. Order here:
(EU) https://www.bengans.eu/en/artiklar/karl-vento-rainbow-lights.html
(Outside EU) https://www.bengans.com/en/artiklar/karl-vento-rainbow-lights.html
Live dates 2024:
14/3 - @SxSW - Austin, Texas (USA)
15/3 - @Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social - Austin, Texas (USA)
Karl Vento släpper debutalbum
Den kreativa fördämningen har äntligen rämnat för den tidigare bakgrundsfiguren Karl Vento. Nu har det uppriktiga debutalbumet Rainbow Lights släppts.
I över ett decennium har Karl Vento figurerat som omistlig medmusiker till bland andra Anna von Hausswolff, Sumie, Det Stora Monstret och Anna Ran. Vad resultatet skulle bli om han fokuserade energin till sitt personliga skapande har ingen kunnat ana, allra minst han själv. Efter år av kreativa låsningar kom så det uppriktiga debutalbumet, som blev en naturlig katalysator i takt med att Karl Vento på allvar börjat upptäcka sitt själsliv.
De åtta låtarna som utgör Rainbow Lights är skrivna och delvis inspelade i Karl Ventos eget hem. Prismorna som hänger i hans köksfönster har följt hela tillblivelsen och kastat regnbågens alla färger in i hemmet. Parallellt reflekterades ljuset äntligen in i honom själv, och på albumet kommer hans alla färger fram för första gången. Första gången för honom. Första gången för den lycklige lyssnaren som nu får se Karl Vento i helfigur.
Sällan har ett projekt som syftat till en persons läkande process, resulterat i något så inbjudande. I Karl Ventos värld känner du dig vaksam och omhändertagen på samma gång. Du leds och förleds, du kastas runt men landar alltid mjukt. Bakom den öppna musiken ligger avancerade arrangemang och mastig harmonik. Den drömska och krängande ljudbilden präglas av Karl Ventos avväpnande sång, ekvilibristiskt gitarrspel, avslappnade pukor och fokuserade basgångar.
Till hjälp med förklädnaden har producenten Filip Leyman (Anna von Hausswolff, Erki Pärnoja, Sumie, Albert af Ekenstam m.fl.) lagt sin rutinerade hand vid arrangemang, synthar, slagverk, stråkar och mixning. I samband med släppet presenteras även en specialsydd kollektion av scenkläder - skapade av kostymdesignern och skräddaren Helena Lundström, som kompleterar det musikaliska verket. Så ser vi äntligen Karl Vento, med ljuset av strålkastarens alla färger riktade mot hans hela spektrum.
Rainbow Lights släpptes den 4e november 2022 i en numrerad vinylutgåva på den egna labeln Perseiderna Records. Beställ albumet här: https://www.bengans.se/sv/artiklar/karl-vento-rainbow-lights.html
Livedatum 2024:
14/3 - @SxSW - Austin, Texas (USA)
15/3 - @Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social - Austin, Texas (USA)
Photo: Donovan von Martens
