Where does pop start and experimental music end? Instead of drawing lines, @red_on keeps on exploring the spaces in between these supposed poles with his latest album Phantom Easy, a record that offers moments of pure beauty as well as unpredictable, uncontrollable wilderness.

The spaces Red On moves in aren’t per se terra incognita, but have been explored in recent years by like-minded musicians such as How To Dress Well, Fever Ray, or Dawuna, as well as artists that are affiliated with Präsenes Editionen, where Red On’s album is published, such as @martina-lussi , @beliawinnewisser , or @magda-drozd . Yet, Phantom Easy is an exploration of its own: The melancholic album, which is informed by pop, electroacoustic music, rhythm-focused jazz, and krautrock, is carried by Red On's voice, which appears in ever-changing stages of alienation. The wistful tone of the twelve tracks is reinforced by single phrases sung by Red On that, through their repetition, develop an urgency that can hardly be escaped. The result is pop music that is brave enough to embrace the adventure; or experimental music that doesn’t shy away from offering catchy hooks and grand melodies.

Behind Red On is Philipp Dittmar, a producer, DJ and co-founder of Nuremberg label Verydeeprecords. In a productive, DIY-driven environment, which also includes the It Isn't Happening Festival, the Musikverein collective or the label Signal Weltfunk, Dittmar has released a number of EPs and albums over the past decade. Phantom Easy is the highlight of Red On's forward thinking work to date and underlines his innovative strength and artistic vision. For the live performances of Phantom Easy, Dittmar continues to work with visual artist Subrihanna; together they offer an ever-evolving, immersive audio-visual experience.

Phantom Easy is published by Präsens Editionen, a Switzerland-based platform for community-run publishing projects. It was founded in 2011 while launching zweikommasieben Magazin. Ever since music on vinyl, cassette, as well as in digital formats has been released next to zines, magazines, books, and some oddities as well. Recent audio releases include material by @samuelreinhard , Belia Winnewisser, Martina Lussi, @gewissheit , and Magda Drozd.

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Written, recorded and produced by Philipp Dittmar

Drums by Philipp Schärdel
Mixed by Philipp Dittmar
Mastered by Isabel Schröer at Olo Mastering 
Lacquer cut by Stefan Betke at scape mastering
Cover by Sabrina Zeltner
Photography by Meike Männel
Graphic design by Philipp Dittmar

Red On - Wildlife

Präsens Editionen was founded in 2011 to give home to zweikommasieben Magazin. Ever since a bunch of magazines, books, zines, records, tapes and oddities have been published.

zweikommasieben is a Swiss magazine that has been devoted to the documentation of contemporary music and sounds since the summer of 2011. The magazine features artist interviews, essays and columns as well as photography, illustration and graphics. In addition zweikommasieben curates and organizes a variety of events—for example Ebbing Sounds, a symposium that initially was held in the summer of 2018 in San Francisco, or the biennial London-based festival Oto Nove Swiss.