Tom Holkenborg
{{Short description|Dutch musician and composer (born 1967)}}
{{Lead too short|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Tom Holkenborg
| image = File:Junkie-xl.jpg
| caption = Holkenborg at the Ultra Music Festival in 2007
| image_size =
| birth_name = Antonius Holkenborg
| alias = {{flatlist|
- Junkie XL
- JXL
}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|12|8|df=yes}}
Lichtenvoorde, Gelderland, Netherlands
| instrument = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = 1988–present
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
- A Forest Called Mulu
- Mambo Jambo
- Nerve
- Weekend at Waikiki
- Hans Zimmer
- Remote Control Productions
}}
| website = {{URL|tomholkenborg.com}}
| landscape = yes
}}
Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967),{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjREAQAAIAAJ&q=junkie+jxl+1967 | title=International Who's Who in Popular Music 2009 | isbn=978-1-85743-514-6 | author1=Europa | date=March 2009 | publisher=Routledge }} also known as Junkie XL, is a Dutch composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, and engineer. Originally known for his trance productions, he has moved to producing electronica and big beat music and film scores. His remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" became a worldwide hit in 2002.
In film scores, he has worked with Hans Zimmer and his company Remote Control Productions on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as composing the scores for Zack Snyder's Justice League, Divergent, Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Tomb Raider,{{cite web |last1=Chitgood |first1=Adam |title=Tom Holkenborg Reveals How He Crafted the 'Tomb Raider' Score |url=https://collider.com/junkie-xl-interview-tomb-raider/ |website=Collider |date=21 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326042428/https://collider.com/junkie-xl-interview-tomb-raider/|url-status=live|archive-date=26 March 2018}} Alita: Battle Angel, Terminator: Dark Fate, Sonic the Hedgehog (and its sequels), Scoob!, Godzilla vs. Kong, Army of the Dead, Three Thousand Years of Longing and Rebel Moon - Part 1 as well as Rebel Moon - Part 2.
Early life
Holkenborg was born in Lichtenvoorde, Gelderland, Netherlands. Classically trained by his mother – herself an accredited music teacher – Holkenborg started playing piano when he was three years old, drums when he was eight,Dutch: Roomse Herrie, De digitale pop-encyclopedie van Oost-Gelre, [http://www.roomseherrie.nl/poparchief/tom-holkenborg/ Tom Holkenborg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526103244/http://www.roomseherrie.nl/poparchief/tom-holkenborg |date=2019-05-26 }} and guitar at 12. Influenced by the psychedelic pop of Pink Floyd and King Crimson, he took up the bass by age 14. After moving to Leeuwarden, at the age of 17, he decided to take a job at a local music store selling keyboards and other digital gear, and began to have an appreciation for the combination of electronic and organic sounds. It was shortly after he discovered synthesizers that he joined the Dutch new wave ensemble Weekend at Waikiki as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, touring extensively with the band, including through Poland and parts of the Soviet Union, from 1988 to 1991. He also produced and played on their 1994 album, Sputnik.Dutch: Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid, Muziekencyclopedie.nl [http://www.muziekencyclopedie.nl/action/entry/Weekend+at+Waikiki Weekend at Waikiki] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526043157/http://www.muziekencyclopedie.nl/action/entry/Weekend+at+Waikiki |date=2019-05-26 }} In 1993, Holkenborg produced Almost a Dance by Dutch metal band The Gathering, and later that year went on to form the industrial rock band Nerve with Phil Mills.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=247}} After signing with label Play It Again Sam in 1992 and releasing two LPs – Cancer of Choice (1993) and Blood & Gold (1994) – he continued as a producer, working with hardcore punk and metal bands like Sepultura, Fear Factory, and Dog Eat Dog, while simultaneously licensing some of his instrumental electronic tracks for racing video games like The Need For Speed and Test Drive 5. It was during this time that he also began scoring the Dutch feature film Siberia, which would be released by Warner Bros. Netherlands.{{cite web |last1=Rooney |first1=David |title=Siberia |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/siberia-1200454022/ |website=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917051201/https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/siberia-1200454022/ |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |date=June 15, 1998 |url-status=live}}
Career
=1997–99: ''Saturday Teenage Kick'' and ''Big Sounds of the Drags''=
In 1997, Holkenborg released Saturday Teenage Kick, his first album under the "Junkie XL" moniker. Featuring singles such as "Billy Club", "Def Beat", and "Dealing with the Roster", the album combined pounding breakbeat rhythms with elements of rock and psychedelia. Much of the album's songs featured lyrics and vocals by Patrick "Rude Boy" Tilon, vocalist for the Dutch rap rock band Urban Dance Squad. After a brief tour with The Prodigy and festival dates at Fuji Rock and Roskilde, Holkenborg made a name for himself in the upcoming U.S. rave scene. His second LP, Big Sounds of the Drags, was released in 1999, once again with Tilon providing vocal work to most of the album's songs, as in "Action Radius", "Power of Big Slacks", "Zerotonine", "Love Like Razorblade", "Legion", and "Next Plateau". "Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)", the last track on the album, was featured prominently on Welsh DJ and producer Sasha's mix album Global Underground 013: Ibiza.
=2002: "A Little Less Conversation"=
While making inroads as a film composer – contributing to movies like Blade (1998) and The Beach (2000) – Holkenborg was asked to remix Elvis Presley's 1968 single "A Little Less Conversation" (with three different music videos) for a 2002 Nike World Cup commercial, titled "Secret Tournament". The occasion marked the first time Presley's estate had granted permission for any of Presley's material to be remixed. The song reached No. 1 in 24 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and Mexico, and was released as a single under the name "Elvis vs. JXL". The song was also featured as the title song to the NBC TV series Las Vegas, and in feature films like Shark Tale, Next, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, MegaMind, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
=2003: ''Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin''=
The success of "A Little Less Conversation" set the stage for his 2003 double-disc album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin. The name "Computer Hell" referred to Holkenborg's Amsterdam studio and headquarters. Loosely based around the concept of a fictitious pirate radio station, the album's 3PM side features collaborations with The Cure's Robert Smith, Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan, Peter Tosh, Chuck D from Public Enemy, Gary Numan, Solomon Burke, and Saffron, along with the said Elvis Presley remix. The 3AM side consists mostly of progressive house instrumentals, including "Breezer", a collaboration with Sasha. The album was to be launched simultaneously with a fully functioning internet radio station at www.RadioJXL.com, which was to feature exclusive shows and mixes with top EDM producers and DJs, but the undertaking proved to be too expensive and time-consuming to continue. Subsequently, two downloadable albums were released from the site: 7AM Ambient and 7AM Dance.
=2004–08: ''Today'' and ''Booming Back at You''=
File:Junkie XL & Kēvens back stage at AgeHa, Tokyo.jpg in 2006]]
Holkenborg decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 2003, and in April 2006, released his fourth full-length album, Today, an album that reflected the personal and professional changes that were occurring in his life. Today features only one guest vocalist, Nathan Mader, and reverts to the more guitar-based sound of his first two albums. His fifth album, Booming Back at You, saw Holkenborg cultivate a stronger club sound punctuated by tracks like "1967 Poem", featuring Steve Aoki. Many of the lyrics on the album were written in collaboration with Electrocute's Nicole Morier, who appears in "Mad Pursuit", "Not Enough", and "New Toy". The album was released on Artwerk Music, a joint venture between Nettwerk Music and video game company Electronic Arts, and peaked at 11 on Billboard's Top Electronic Album chart. It was the first Junkie XL full-length to chart in the U.S., and featured the hit single, "More", with Lauren Rocket. Rocket also contributed vocals to the Siouxsie and the Banshees' cover "Cities in Dust".
=2012: ''Synthesized''=
On 27 November 2012, Junkie XL released his sixth full-length album, entitled Synthesized. The album was preceded by a single EP for "Molly's E", which was released on 6 September and features remixes by Azari & III and Canblaster. A second single, "Gloria" (with Fredrik Saroea of Datarock), was released on 23 October. Stylistically, Synthesized strikes a balance between the introspective sound of Today and the club-heavy sound of Booming Back at You, and features collaborations with Isis Salam ("Off The Dancefloor"), Tears for Fears' Curt Smith ("When Enough is Not Enough"), and Tommie Sunshine ("Love Machine"). The album also features a spoken word excerpt from Timothy Leary's The Psychedelic Experience, read by Leary, on the song "Leave Behind Your Ego". A video for "Off the Dancefloor" was created by Japanese electro-pop band Trippple Nippples. The videos for "Gloria" and "Leave Behind Your Ego" were directed by John Christopher Pina for Clean Sweep.
=Composing for film=
In collaboration with Harry Gregson-Williams, he contributed additional music to the Tony Scott film Domino (2005), and served as the composer for the Dutch film Blind,{{cite news |title=Junkie XL componeert muziek voor Blind |url=https://www.trouw.nl/voorpagina/junkie-xl-componeert-muziek-voor-blind~b3884e06/ |work=Trouw |date=3 January 2007 |location=Amsterdam |language=Dutch |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 July 2024 |archive-date=15 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715045758/https://www.trouw.nl/voorpagina/junkie-xl-componeert-muziek-voor-blind~b3884e06/ |url-status=live }} which was nominated for Best Original Music Score at the Netherlands Film Festival in 2007 and received the Grand Prix award for Best Original Music Score at the 2008 Aubagne International Film Festival. Holkenborg continues to work in the film and television industry, collaborating with composer Hans Zimmer as a sequencer programmer on Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. The film marks the fourth scoring collaboration between Holkenborg and Zimmer, including Megamind (2010), Inception (2010) and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012). Since moving into Zimmer's Remote Control Productions studio, the two have worked together on many other musical projects, including Man of Steel, the reboot of the Superman franchise, and a remix of that year's Academy Awards theme song. Holkenborg has provided music for the films Kingdom of Heaven, Domino, DOA: Dead or Alive,{{cite book |last1=Willis |first1=John |last2=Monush |first2=Barry |title=Screen World: the films of 2006 |date=2010 |publisher=Applause |location=New York |isbn=9781557837295 |page=230 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxunSeshPngC&pg=PA230 |chapter=Domestic films |access-date=2024-07-15 |archive-date=2024-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008215330/https://books.google.com/books?id=uxunSeshPngC&pg=PA230#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }} Shark Tale, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, The Animatrix, and Resident Evil, and has had his original music featured in a number of major motion pictures, including Blade ("Dealing with the Roster") and The Beach ("Synaesthesia"). In 2013, he composed the music for the Relativity Media film Paranoia.{{cite news |title=Junkie XL maakt muziek voor Hollywood-thriller |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/junkie-xl-maakt-muziek-voor-hollywood-thriller~ba73be81/ |work=de Volkskrant |date=1 August 2013 |language=Dutch |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 July 2024 }} Shortly after, he was brought in by Zack Snyder, the producer of 300: Rise of an Empire, to create the score for the film.{{cite news |author1=Elsa Vanden Abeele |title=Junkie XL maakt muziek voor '300: Rise of an Empire' |url=https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/junkie-xl-maakt-muziek-voor-300-rise-of-an-empire~bf9e9609/ |work=De Morgen |date=21 May 2013 |language=Dutch |access-date=26 July 2024 |archive-date=8 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008215340/https://myprivacy.dpgmedia.be/consent?siteKey=6OfBU0sZ5RFXpOOK&callbackUrl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.demorgen.be%2fprivacy-wall%2faccept%3fredirectUri%3d%252fnieuws%252fjunkie-xl-maakt-muziek-voor-300-rise-of-an-empire%257ebf9e9609%252f |url-status=live }} He is credited as the composer for the 2014 film Divergent, with Hans Zimmer credited as "Executive Producer" for the soundtrack.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a546199/ellie-goulding-records-new-song-for-divergent-movie-soundtrack/|title=Ellie Goulding records new song for Divergent movie soundtrack|website=Digital Spy|date=23 January 2014|archive-date=13 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813142613/https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a546199/ellie-goulding-records-new-song-for-divergent-movie-soundtrack/|url-status=live}} He is a member of the Magnificent Six, a collaborative group of five other musicians, consisting of Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr (from The Smiths), Michael Einziger (from Incubus), Andrew Kawczynski, and Steve Mazzaro.{{cite web|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/03/12/the-amazing-spider-man-2-soundtrack-update/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313002836/http://filmmusicreporter.com/2014/03/12/the-amazing-spider-man-2-soundtrack-update/|title='The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ Soundtrack Update|date=March 12, 2014|archive-date=March 13, 2014|access-date=April 26, 2019}} The "supergroup" of artists ranging from diverse backgrounds teamed up to compose the score for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He was the primary composer for the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road{{cite web|last=Kellman|first=Andy|title=Mad Max: Fury Road [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-max-fury-road-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002838283|website=AllMusic|publisher=All Media Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518022011/http://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-max-fury-road-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0002838283|archive-date=18 May 2015|url-status=live}} and the 2016 film Deadpool, and was co-composer for the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, along with Zimmer (who still wrote all the main themes,{{Cite web|url=http://hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1611/|title=Hans-Zimmer.com|website=Hans-zimmer.com|access-date=March 31, 2020|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403203853/http://hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1611/|url-status=live}} including the music for Wonder Woman which was later used in the film of the same name). Holkenborg was set to compose the music for the Snyder's 2017 film Justice League, but was replaced by Danny Elfman when director Joss Whedon was brought on to finish the film.{{cite web|first=Borys|last=Kit|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/justice-league-danny-elfman-compose-score-1013319|title='Justice League': Danny Elfman to Compose Score (Exclusive)|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 14, 2017|access-date=April 26, 2019|archive-date=June 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615005434/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/justice-league-danny-elfman-compose-score-1013319|url-status=live}} Holkenborg composed the scores for the 2018 film Mortal Engines, the 2019 films Alita: Battle Angel{{cite web |last1=Solis |first1=Jose |title=Elimination Leads to Creation: Junkie XL on His Score for 'Alita: Battle Angel' |url=https://www.popmatters.com/junkie-xl-interview-2019 |website=PopMatters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717070752/https://www.popmatters.com/junkie-xl-interview-2019 |archive-date=17 July 2023 |date=11 March 2019 |url-status=live}} and Terminator: Dark Fate,{{cite web |last=Couch |first=Aaron |title=Junkie XL to Score Terminator: Dark Fate |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-dark-fate-lands-composer-junkie-xl-1196327 |work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=22 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322205324/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-dark-fate-lands-composer-junkie-xl-1196327 |archive-date=22 March 2019 |url-status=live}} the 2020 films Sonic the Hedgehog{{cite web|last=Han |first=Karen |title=Sonic the Hedgehog composer Tom Holkenborg is obsessed with updating vintage sound |url=https://www.polygon.com/interviews/2020/2/12/21134584/sonic-the-hedgehog-movie-game-soundtrack-tom-holkenborg-junkie-xl |work=Polygon |publisher=Vox Media |date=12 February 2020 |archive-date=December 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229193710/https://www.polygon.com/interviews/2020/2/12/21134584/sonic-the-hedgehog-movie-game-soundtrack-tom-holkenborg-junkie-xl |url-status=live }} and Scoob!,{{cite web |last1=Burlingame |first1=Russ |title=Tom Holkenborg Unveils His Theme Song for Scoob!, Talks Modernizing the Classic Score [Exclusive] |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/junkie-xl-scoob-theme-song-exclusive/ |website=ComicBook |date=29 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607151029/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/junkie-xl-scoob-theme-song-exclusive/|archive-date=7 June 2020|url-status=live}} the 2021 releases Zack Snyder's Justice League, Godzilla vs. Kong,{{Cite web |date=30 March 2021 |title=Godzilla vs. Kong: How Junkie XL Found New Themes for Monsters' Soundtrack |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/godzilla-vs-kong-junkie-xl-new-themes-soundtrack/ |website=Den of Geek|url-status=live|archive-date=30 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330221846/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/godzilla-vs-kong-junkie-xl-new-themes-soundtrack/}} and Army of the Dead,{{cite web|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|date=13 May 2021|url=https://collider.com/army-of-the-dead-soundtrack-release-date-tracklisting-tom-holkenborg/|title=Exclusive: Tom Holkenborg's Army of the Dead Soundtrack Set for May Release; Listen to a Preview Track Now|work=Collider|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524214226/https://collider.com/army-of-the-dead-soundtrack-release-date-tracklisting-tom-holkenborg/|archive-date=24 May 2021|url-status=live}} and the 2022 releases The 355,{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/tom-holkenborg-355-score-composer-1234835916/|title=Tom Holkenborg Scoring Female-Driven Spy Thriller The 355 (Exclusive)|date=11 December 2020|first=Jon|last=Burlingame|website=Variety|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120053116/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/tom-holkenborg-355-score-composer-1234835916/|url-status=live}} Sonic the Hedgehog 2,{{cite web |last1=Grierson |first1=Tim |title='Sonic The Hedgehog 2': Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-2-review/5169046.article |website=Screen Daily |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328164551/https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-2-review/5169046.article |archive-date=28 March 2022 |date=28 March 2022 |url-status=live}} and Three Thousand Years of Longing.{{cite web |title=Three Thousand Years of Longing |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/three-thousand-years-of-longing/ |website=Cannes Film Festival |date=21 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516102303/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/three-thousand-years-of-longing/ |archive-date=16 May 2023 |url-status=live}}
=Composing for video games=
To go along with his numerous artist albums and EPs, Holkenborg has been creating original music for video games since the mid-1990s. In addition to composing the soundtrack for Xbox racing games Forza Motorsport and Quantum Redshift, Holkenborg is responsible for the SSX Blur soundtrack. He has also licensed a number of his album tracks for video game use. "Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)", "Synasthesia", and "Dance USA"—all taken from his album Big Sounds of the Drags—were licensed to the racing video game TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed (2002). The title track for Today is featured on the soundtrack for the video games Burnout Legends and Burnout Revenge, while "More"—taken from his fifth album, Booming Back at You—is featured on the soundtrack to EA Games' Need for Speed: ProStreet, which also includes a full score from Holkenborg. His cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Cities in Dust" is featured on Electronic Arts' Burnout Paradise. He has written additional music for and licensed music to The Matrix: Path of Neo, Destroy All Humans!, The Sims 2: Nightlife, The Sims 3, Need for Speed: High Stakes, Need for Speed: Underground, Need for Speed: Carbon, FIFA 08, and FIFA Street 3, among others. He composed the soundtrack for EA's Darkspore.
=Remixes=
File:LuxTonnerre - 2764112815 (cropped).jpg
Holkenborg had made remixes—for both A-list pop superstars and lesser known artists. Highlights include work for Scissor Sisters ("Mary", "Land of a Thousand Words"), Depeche Mode ("Enjoy the Silence"), U.N.K.L.E. ("Burn My Shadow"), Justin Timberlake ("What Goes Around"), Fatboy Slim ("Weapon of Choice"), Coldplay ("Talk"), Bloc Party ("Sunday"), Michael Bublé ("Sway"), Avril Lavigne ("Girlfriend"), Daft Punk ("The Grid"), Madonna ("4 Minutes"), Fischerspooner ("Emerge"), and Hans Zimmer ("Inception" and "Bombers Over Ibiza"). His remix for Britney Spears' "Outrageous" was used in the 2004 film Catwoman, and his remix of "And Then We Kiss" was featured on Spears' 2005 remix album B in the Mix: The Remixes. In 2008, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of Madonna's "4 Minutes". His remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" has gone to No. 1 in 24 countries.
=Commercial work=
Holkenborg's music has also been featured in a number of international ad campaigns for major brands like Nike, Adidas, Heineken, and Cadillac. His remix of Eagles of Death Metal's "Don't Speak" was used in the 2008 Nike "Take it to the Next Level" commercial, which was directed by Guy Ritchie. "Today" was featured on ESPN commercials for Major League Soccer, while "A Little Less Conversation" provided the soundtrack to Nike's 2002 World Cup campaign.{{Cite web |title=Presleys in the Press: Elvis vs JXL - A Little Less Conversation |url=https://www.elvicities.com/~presleyinthepres/themes/elvisvsjxl.html |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=www.elvicities.com |archive-date=2024-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008215333/https://www.elvicities.com/~presleyinthepres/themes/elvisvsjxl.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=ElvisNews.com - Elvis Presley news magazine - By Fans For Fans |url=https://www.elvisnews.com/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=ElvisNews.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530142508/https://www.elvisnews.com/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Remembering the Elvis Presley Remix That Somehow Changed Culture |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ypa35w/elvis-vs-jxls-a-little-less-conversation-feature |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=www.vice.com |date=10 May 2017 |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008215336/https://gum.criteo.com/syncframe?origin=publishertagids&topUrl=www.vice.com&gdpr=0&gdpr_consent= |url-status=live }}
In 2003, Holkenborg created the musical theme of Dutch television channel Nederland 3.{{Cite news |last=de Rek |first=Wilma |date=August 26, 2003 |title=Nederland 1, 2 en 3 beginnen nieuw seizoen met nieuw logo |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/voorpagina/nederland-1-2-en-3-beginnen-nieuw-seizoen-met-nieuw-logo~bc3bb276/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=de Volkskrant |language=Dutch }}
Personal life
Holkenborg is an associate professor at the ArtEZ Conservatorium, one of the major art institutes in the Netherlands, where he teaches producing, remixing, and music composition. He resides in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California.{{Cite web|url=https://coolhunting.com/culture/studio-visit-film-composer-junkiexl/|title=Studio Visit: Film Composer JunkieXL|date=July 31, 2017|website=Coolhunting|access-date=March 31, 2020|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930100051/https://coolhunting.com/culture/studio-visit-film-composer-junkiexl/|url-status=live}}
He uses the name JXL in cases where the term "Junkie" might cause offense. One example of this was with his biggest hit, a remix of the song "A Little Less Conversation" which was performed by Elvis Presley, a singer who toward the end of his life was addicted to prescription drugs and whose death in 1977 at the age of 42 was at least partially caused by them.{{cite news|last=Higginbotham|first=Alan|title=Doctor Feelgood|date=August 11, 2002|newspaper=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/aug/11/features.magazine27|access-date=December 29, 2009|archive-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922062642/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/aug/11/features.magazine27|url-status=live}} Holkenborg says of his name: "I called myself Junkie XL from the point of view that once you're completely overworked, you never want to go there again. The 'XL' stands for expanding limits; broadening up your vision."{{cite web |title=Junkie XL confirmed to score Mortal Engines |url=https://www.mortalenginesmovie.com/2018/06/junkie-xl-confirmed-to-score-mortal.html |website=mortalenginesmovie.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=8 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008215332/https://www.mortalenginesmovie.com/2018/06/junkie-xl-confirmed-to-score-mortal.html |url-status=live }}
Discography
{{Main|Junkie XL discography}}
=Studio albums=
- Saturday Teenage Kick (1997)
- Big Sounds of the Drags (1999)
- Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin (2003)
- Today (2006)
- Booming Back at You (2008)
- Synthesized (2012)
=Film=
=Video game scores=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Developer(s) ! Publisher(s) ! Notes |
|---|
| 2002
| Curly Monsters | {{N/A}} |
| 2003
|"Action Radius" |
| rowspan="3" |2005
|{{N/A}} |
| Forza Motorsport
|Microsoft Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios |{{N/A}} |
| The Sims 2: Nightlife
| Maxis | rowspan="2" | Electronic Arts | Neighborhood Theme remix |
| 2006
| Melody - Feel the Rush (Remix)Yonderboi - People Always Talk About The Weather (Remix) |
| rowspan="2" | 2007
| SSX Blur | {{N/A}} |
| Need for Speed: ProStreet
| rowspan="4" | Electronic Arts | Composed with Andre Ettema and Sam Estes |
| 2008
| {{N/A}} |
| 2010
| The Sims 3 - Re-Imagined | Maxis | {{N/A}} |
| 2011
| Maxis | {{N/A}} |
| 2015
| rowspan="2" | EA Sports | {{N/A}} |
| 2017
| FIFA 18 | EA Vancouver | {{N/A}} |
| 2024
| Ubisoft | {{N/A}} |
= Television scores =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Notes |
|---|
| 2003
|Musical score for the channel |
| 2012
|Lijn 32 | 8 episodes |
| 2019–present
| 3 episodes |
| 2019
| 4 episodes |
| 2020
| 10 episodes |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Junkie XL}}
- {{official website|url=http://www.junkiexl.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|0432725|Tom Holkenborg}}
- [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Junkie+XL Junkie XL on Discogs]
{{Junkie XL}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Junkie XL
|list1 =
{{AACTA Award Best Music Score}}
{{Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Film}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holkenborg, Tom}}
Category:20th-century Dutch composers
Category:20th-century Dutch male musicians
Category:21st-century Dutch composers
Category:21st-century Dutch male musicians
Category:Dutch electronic dance music DJs
Category:Dutch film score composers
Category:Dutch male film score composers
Category:Dutch video game composers
Category:MNRK Music Group artists