I run the circuits close to the flame,  
I live where distance has no name.  
Every secret carried in my wake,  
Every orbit mine to break.  
Sweating silver, burning fast,  
Always first and never last.  
But no one listens when I speak —  
so hear me now, I’m not the weak.  

Pluto hides, he slips away,  
Never shows on Judgement Day.  
Never stays where he belongs,  
Always late, always wrong.  
He’s cold, he’s distant, he’s out of line —  
He mocks the circle, breaks the design.  

He’s far! Too far!  
He moves when we don’t,  
He stops when we can’t,  
He bends when we won’t,  

Never here! Never near! Never close to the light!  
Never here! Never near! Always hiding in the night!  
Never here! Never near! Never part of the core!  
If he won’t stay with us — what is he orbiting for?  

Can you hear my heartbeat racing?  
Can you see the sunlight chasing me?  

I always stand where the heat is worst,  
I always run, I’m always first.  
No room to breathe, no place to roam,  
My cage of light — my burning home.  
But Pluto wanders where he will…  
Freedom cold, but freedom still.  

Maybe I envy the dark…  
Maybe I envy the space…  
Maybe distance is a luxury  
for those who have no place.  

He’s wrong! He’s free!  
He’s lost! He’s me!  

Never here! Never near! He escapes what I can’t flee!  
Never here! Never near! He runs where I can’t be!  
Never here! Never near! He rejects the burning throne!  
So if he doesn’t need the family —  what does that make me… alone?  

I don’t want the darkness…  
I just want a little distance…  
Let someone else be close for once.  

Titania feeds on Mercury’s trembling fear,  
Calling panic “proof” because it sounds sincere.  
Europa knows truth never lives where cowards cheer.  
The Sun sits still — neutrality drawing near.  

Nothing proven, everything broken. Classic here.

There’s a booklet (14 MB) you can download here: https://tinyurl.com/24r93yse

The Court Of The Sun

Mercury’s Testimony (The Whisper Of The Inner Orbit)

"Redder" is a palindrome. Like "racecar" or "level". These pieces of music ain't.

My name is Volker Redder, online I go by "docredder." It all came about because I studied biology and computer science for a long time and received my doctorate as the crowning achievement of my academic career.
As a child, I sang Bach in the church's „Knabenchor Unser Lieben Frauen“ because my mother thought it was good for my soul. And it was, until, thanks to an excellent teacher, I realized that music is like mathematics. After that, I loved not only music but also mathematics and all sciences based on mathematics: physics, biology, chemistry, computer science. So, I went straight into the natural sciences and engineering. Yes, I studied a lot. However, a university career wasn't for me. I wanted to monetize the findings of the various sciences (you can't live on air and love alone) and founded over a dozen companies. Because who wants life to follow a clear formula? I certainly didn't. In addition to adventurous entrepreneurship, the subsequent career in politics (German Bundestag), and a growing family, I was constantly picking up the guitar or keyboard, which is what you do when you want to escape the chaos of everyday life.
Should I say I'm a virtuoso? No. That would be a lie. I'm just too lazy for that. Laziness, or in modern parlance, "efficiency," is a principle for me. And so I founded my "own studio," consisting of a lot of electronics and software. The hipsters call it DIY. I call it "not wanting to act like a big shot and book expensive recording studios." I'm a one-man orchestra, a chef-d'oeuvre who spends all day producing pop, rock, indie, and ambient mishmash until he finally finds it he likes. My menu? Pink Floyd, Genesis, Supertramp, Muse, Zappa, Miles Davis, and many more. Yes, all at once. I told you: mishmash.
There are guys who write music to become famous. Then there's me. I write music to keep myself from going crazy. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes there's melancholy in it, sometimes it's stories from literature or something sci-fi. Or from Tinder dates my daughters have told me. I mean, who hasn't wondered what "being in Tinder light" is? Exactly. I wrote it down. I use everything I can get my hands on: GarageBand, samples, my voice, AI voices, Udio, VirtualDJ, everything! I don't care if purists say it's no longer art. It doesn't matter, the main thing is that my music feels like a window you can look out of and discover something new again and again.
Every song becomes a little adventure. Sometimes I start with a line, sometimes with a feeling I can't shake. It's like an escape from reality, except in the end, there's no escape. And that's a good thing. This is how I stay grounded. Okay, grounded isn't the right word either. Let me put it this way: I've stayed true to myself. And I'm grateful for everyone who listens, shares, or comments.
It makes me feel like I'm not completely alone in this madness. So if you also like songs that don't follow the rules, I'd be happy if you joined in. After all, the world is crazy enough.
You have to fight that with music. I mean, that's logical, right?