Junkie XL

Biography

Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), 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×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" became a worldwide hit in 2002.
In film scores, he has worked with Hans Zimmer and his company Remote Control Productions on 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, Alita: Battle Angel, Terminator: Dark Fate, the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, Scoob!, Godzilla vs. Kong, Army of the Dead, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Rebel Moon, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

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, 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. 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. 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.

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×Billy Club1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Billy Club (radio edit)3:112X-Panding Limits (Hardhop mix)3:163No Remorse6:304Billy Club (Rotten Beats mix)4:35", "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×Big Sounds of the Drags18 October 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Check Your Basic Groove5:082Action Radius3:543Synasthesia7:414Power of Big Slacks3:255Zerotonine4:036Love Like Razorblade6:077Legion4:378Dance USA3:249Gettin’ Lost6:1910Black Jack3:0811Next Plateau5:0012Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)8:5413Disco 20004:3914Zerotonine (Junkie XL’s extended Neurotransmitter)8:12, 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×Zerotonine1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Zerotonine (radio mix)3:142Check Your Basic Groove (Sander Kleinenberg mix)8:393Zerotonine3:59", "Love Like Razorblade×Love Like Razorblade2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Love Like Razorblade (PK radio mix)3:382Action Radius (DNA mix)3:013Love Like Razorblade6:064Check Your Basic Groove (Nighttripper mix)8:01", "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×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" (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×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" set the stage for his 2003 double-disc album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin×Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin6 February 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro 3 PM0:512Crusher5:293Don't Wake Up Policeman4:534Reload4:385Spirits4:396Angels4:197Perfect Blue Sky4:118Between These Walls4:129Access to the Excess3:2810Catch Up to My Step4:1311Never Alone3:4712Logos4:2913Configuring Audio System0:2614Nightmares3:2815Beauty Never Fades3:4816Rivers3:4017Aqua Man2:5918Broken3:4119JXL Radio Technical Support1:17. 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

Holkenborg decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 2003, and in April 2006, released his fourth full-length album, Today×Today18 April 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Youthful10:332Mushroom6:443Such a Tease5:534Today6:415Drift Away4:586I've Got a Xerox to Copy5:567Even in This Moment1:558Yesterdays3:559Honey3:5210We Become One4:46, 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×Booming Back at You10 March 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Booming Right at You4:032Cities in Dust4:193You Make Me Feel So Good4:374Stratosphere4:585Mad Pursuit4:176More6:0171967 Poem3:518Zage4:549Clash5:0710New Toy4:2111No Way3:2812Not Enough4:06, 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×Cities in Dust2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Cities in Dust (radio edit)3:052Cities in Dust (Gareth Wyn remix)7:553Cities in Dust (King Unique remix)8:404Cities in Dust (Adam K & Soha remix)6:575Cities in Dust (Glimmer's Done and Dusted remix)5:336Cities in Dust (Moonbootica remix)6:137Cities in Dust4:238Cities in Dust (King Unique dub)8:36".

2012: Synthesized

On 27 November 2012, Junkie XL released his sixth full-length album, entitled Synthesized×Synthesized11 October 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Take Off on Molly's E4:422Off the Dancefloor3:523Leave Behind Your Ego4:094Synthesized4:225When Enough Is Not Enough6:296Twilight Trippin5:427Love Machine5:258Gloria3:599Bonzai4:5810Klatshing!4:2311Kill the Band4:5912The Art of Luxurious Intergalactic Time Travel7:40. The album was preceded by a single EP for "Molly's E×Molly's E23 August 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Molly's E (original mix)5:402Molly's E (Azari & III vocal remix)5:453Molly's E (Azari & III instrumental remix)5:454Molly's E (Canblaster remix)5:365Molly's E (Nicky Romero Molly's E remix)5:286Molly's E (Nicky Romero dub remix)5:28", which was released on 6 September and features remixes by Azari & III and Canblaster. A second single, "Gloria×Gloria23 October 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Gloria (Junkie XL DJ mix)4:332Gloria (Kurd Maverick remix)6:173Gloria (Flinch remix)5:054Gloria (Prince club Festival mix)5:095Gloria3:58" (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×Off The Dancefloor27 March 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Off the Dancefloor (NT89 remix)5:412Off the Dancefloor (Trippple Nippples remix)4:223Off the Dancefloor (Deniz Koyu remix)6:034Off the Dancefloor (album version)3:525Off the Dancefloor (a cappella)3:34"), 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, 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 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, 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. Shortly after, he was brought in by Zack Snyder, the producer of 300: Rise of an Empire, to create the score for the film. He is credited as the composer for the 2014 film Divergent, with Hans Zimmer credited as "Executive Producer" for the soundtrack. 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. 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 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, 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. Holkenborg composed the scores for the 2018 film Mortal Engines, the 2019 films Alita: Battle Angel and Terminator: Dark Fate, the 2020 films Sonic the Hedgehog and Scoob!, the 2021 releases Zack Snyder's Justice League, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Army of the Dead, and the 2022 releases The 355, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Three Thousand Years of Longing.

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×Quantum Redshift2003 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Crusher4:272Kalau Wastelands6:133Silver Rock Canyon4:584Fuusoku City5:115Flames of Ra5:026Solar City6:067Brakenstowe Vale5:168Mount Grauen6:319Draco Island4:52, 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×Big Sounds of the Drags18 October 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Check Your Basic Groove5:082Action Radius3:543Synasthesia7:414Power of Big Slacks3:255Zerotonine4:036Love Like Razorblade6:077Legion4:378Dance USA3:249Gettin’ Lost6:1910Black Jack3:0811Next Plateau5:0012Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)8:5413Disco 20004:3914Zerotonine (Junkie XL’s extended Neurotransmitter)8:12—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×Booming Back at You10 March 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Booming Right at You4:032Cities in Dust4:193You Make Me Feel So Good4:374Stratosphere4:585Mad Pursuit4:176More6:0171967 Poem3:518Zage4:549Clash5:0710New Toy4:2111No Way3:2812Not Enough4:06—is featured on the soundtrack to EA Games' Need for Speed: ProStreet×Need for Speed: Prostreet11 December 2007 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Decalomania2:442Dampener Rod3:363Choke4:274Idler Lever3:075Halogen Blindness3:356In the Trunk3:217Clevis3:008Bezel3:069327 - V83:2910Castellated Nut3:04, which also includes a full score from Holkenborg. His cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Cities in Dust×Cities in Dust2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Cities in Dust (radio edit)3:052Cities in Dust (Gareth Wyn remix)7:553Cities in Dust (King Unique remix)8:404Cities in Dust (Adam K & Soha remix)6:575Cities in Dust (Glimmer's Done and Dusted remix)5:336Cities in Dust (Moonbootica remix)6:137Cities in Dust4:238Cities in Dust (King Unique dub)8:36" 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×Darkspore19 April 2011 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Darkspore Theme6:392Prologue2:083Elemental Planes3:244Spatial Reasoning3:185The Poison Forest3:556Mutation Agent2:117Verdanth6:168The Destructors0:299Magnetic Master1:1210Epilogue2:12.

Remixes

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×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" 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×Today18 April 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Youthful10:332Mushroom6:443Such a Tease5:534Today6:415Drift Away4:586I've Got a Xerox to Copy5:567Even in This Moment1:558Yesterdays3:559Honey3:5210We Become One4:46" was featured on ESPN commercials for Major League Soccer, while "A Little Less Conversation×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" provided the soundtrack to Nike's 2002 World Cup campaign.
In 2003, Holkenborg created the musical theme of Dutch television channel Nederland 3.

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.
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×A Little Less Conversation10 June 2002 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1A Little Less Conversation (radio edit remix)3:342A Little Less Conversation (12″ extended remix)6:113A Little Less Conversation1:39" 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. 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."

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)