Graz hit producer

“For me, pop hits are the purest pop music”

Hubert Molander with Charlien in his recording studio in Graz

(Bild: Kevin Geißler)

Behind every successful singer there is usually a "strong" composer. Behind the pop stars Beatrice Egli, Semino Rossi, Michelle and DJ Ötzi is Graz-based producer Hubert Molander. But how much longer when AI becomes a hit machine at the touch of a button? 

Hubert Molander doesn't hesitate for long in his search for the next hit: "When something grabs me, I write it down on my idea sheet and sing melodies into my cell phone. I don't wait, otherwise it's gone and that would be the worst thing for me". The Graz-based hit writer gets his inspiration from life and conversations; brutal chords and weird harmonies are alien to the Graz composer.

Whether it's pop or folk music - it has to be catchy and yet not sound banal. Yet the 52-year-old never learned to compose. "I did the HTL for aviation technology and dropped out of school for my first self-written song. Unfortunately, it wasn't a hit and so I went back to school remorsefully, but music never let go of me." Molander has been working as a freelance songwriter and music producer in his Graz recording studio since 1995.

Schlager is pure pop music for me
In the 90s, when Eurodance was popular here, he started his career with the "Rimini project", which was represented in the charts all over Europe. As pop music became more modern and in demand, his activities increasingly shifted in this direction. "Schlager is pure pop music for me. I have written hundreds of titles", including for Beatrice Egli, DJ Bobo, Vanessa Mai, Nockis, Thomas Anders, Michelle, the Paldauer and DJ Ötzi.

However, a mega hit in the million-selling league a la "Atemlos" was not among them. "Every composer strives for a bomb hit like that," regrets Molander, who strives to supply the biggest artists with his songs. "That used to be easier. Record companies used to ask you specifically for songs for their artists. That no longer exists. Today, Helene Fischer & Co have their own team and you have to be lucky and have connections to get signed by the big players."

Semino Rossi trusts the Graz hit factory, soon Roland Kaiser too
Now the Graz native with a flair for catchy pop hits is going on a voyage of discovery himself and promoting hit potential with 30-year-old Carinthian Charlien. Million-seller Semino Rossi lends a helping hand in polishing the rising star, scattering roses for the music producer and wanting to follow up the previous hits from the Graz hit factory with the duet song "The music of my heart".

Hubert Molander with Semino Rossi

(Bild: z.V.g.)

Semino Rossi trusts the man from Graz, but other pop stars have repeatedly turned him down. Howard Carpendale is one such number that the man from Graz has not yet been able to crack. Instead, Roland Kaiser has been offered five songs from the Graz Schlager workshop. Kaiser's new songs from Graz are still produced without artificial intelligence because Molander (still) rejects this hypermodern form of composing. "But quite honestly. I've tried it out, of course, but I'm not satisfied with the result".

The devil's work: there's no way around AI
Creating new music is easier today than ever before. The biggest concern of music creators is that AI-generated music will replace human-made songs in many areas and flood the market with masses. Hits at the touch of a button. Is this putting an entire profession at risk? "There will be no way around AI. I will work with it to support it, even if I look the devil in the eye." Why? "Because an entire profession could be wiped out. I compare it to photo development. Since digitalization, all business has disappeared. So there will also be many personal fates in my industry." For himself, the father of two doesn't see a black sky, because: "I'm ahead of AI because I write and compose with my heart, and AI will never be able to do that. But who knows what will happen in ten years' time.