In film scores, he is best known for his work in the DC Extended Universe beginning with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Hans Zimmer, contributing to the theme song for Wonder Woman, as well as the scores for Deadpool and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Holkenborg was born in Lichtenvoorde, Gelderland, Netherlands. Classically trained by his mother – herself an accredited music teacher – Holkenborg started playing piano when he was four 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 taking a job at a local music store selling keyboards and other digital gear, he 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 parts of the former Soviet Union, from 1988 to 1991. He also contributed to their final 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 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 Brothers Netherlands.
In collaboration with Harry Gregson-Williams, he contributed additional music to the Tony Scott film Domino (2005), and served as the composer on 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 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, 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 Marvel comic reboot's second feature film of the original Spider-Man trilogy 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. Holkenborg's theme music for Wonder Woman was used in the film of the same name. Zimmer was replaced by Junkie XL to write and compose the music for Justice League releasing in 2017. Holkenborg was later replaced by Danny Elfman, brought up by Joss Whedon.[2] On 8 December 2017 Holkenborg was revealed to be composing the score for the 2018 film Alita: Battle Angel, based on the manga Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro.
To go along with his numerous artist albums and EPs, Holkenborg has been creating original music for video games since the mid-90s. 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: Underground, Need for Speed: Carbon, FIFA 08, and FIFA Street 3, among others. He composed the soundtrack for EA's Darkspore.
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 Venice, Los Angeles, California. He uses the name JXL in cases where the term "Junkie" might cause offense. 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."
Billy Club
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pained by laws like Billy Club
Life is hard, life is short
Pained by laws like Billy Club
Scatter scram, here's the man
Laws to bend that hurts like hell
Zig zag, check attack
Hear the call, run and fall
Taking trolls, that hurt like hell
Scatter scram, here's the man
Laws to bend that hurts like hell
Cautious, ambitious
When the richest max to the fullest
Be the coolest Mr. Nuisance
Mogul cruisin', memo usin'
Tax rate abusin', counterfeit usin'
Snake attack, impostor dealin' with the roster
Two-face, Harvey Dent coin tosser
Get the hunger with the sensation monger
Gues who, gues who
Gues who, guess who stays younger
Life is hard, life is short
Pained by laws like Billy Club
Life is hard, life is short
Pained by laws like Billy Club
Scatter scram, scatter scram
Scatter scram, Billy Club
Scatter scram, scatter scram
Scatter scram, Billy Club
Scatter scram, here's the man
Laws to bend that hurts like hell
Zig zag, check attack
Joke is back and hurts like hell
Hear the call, run and fall
Taking trolls, that hurt like hell
Scatter scram, here's the man
Laws to bend that hurts like hell
The song Billy Club by Junkie X.L. speaks about the hardship in life and the pain inflicted by laws, which he compares to the pain of being hit by a billy club. The lyrics express a sense of frustration with the law and a desire to fight against it. The chorus repeats the lines "Life is hard, life is short, Pained by laws like Billy Club," emphasizing the feelings of injustice and oppression.
The song also mentions the need to be cautious and ambitious in a world where the rich can abuse their power while the poor suffer. The lyrics mention various forms of abuse and deception, such as tax rate abuse, counterfeit use, and impostor dealings. The mood of the song is rebellious, and the artist calls for listeners to resist oppression and fight for their freedom.
Overall, the lyrics of Billy Club express the hardships of life, the pain of oppressive laws, and the need to resist tyranny and fight for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is hard, life is short
Life is difficult and brief
Pained by laws like Billy Club
Feeling the painful impact of restrictive laws or rules, like those enforced by a billy club
Scatter scram, here's the man
Flee quickly, here comes the authoritative figure
Laws to bend that hurts like hell
Legal regulations that are painful to those affected and in need of circumvention
Zig zag, check attack
Evade and assess potential threats
Joke is back and hurts like hell
The teasing ridicule has resurfaced and is deeply hurtful
Hear the call, run and fall
Answer the summons, flee, and inevitably come to harm
Taking trolls, that hurt like hell
Dealing with internet instigators causing real pain
Cautious, ambitious
Proceeding carefully, yet determined to succeed
When the richest max to the fullest
When wealth is taken to the absolute limit
Be the coolest Mr. Nuisance
Be the most laid-back, yet aggravating individual
Mogul cruisin', memo usin'
Boss cruising around, using memos to maintain control
Tax rate abusin', counterfeit usin'
Exploiting tax loopholes, using counterfeit items
Snake attack, impostor dealin' with the roster
Betrayal and deceit, with an imposter attempting to infiltrate a group
Two-face, Harvey Dent coin tosser
A reference to the villain from Batman; someone who is unpredictable and alternates behavior
Get the hunger with the sensation monger
Become motivated by the desire to create excitement or great experiences
Gues who, gues who
Surprise, I have arrived
Guess who stays younger
Who will never age or weaken? (likely referring to the singer)
Scatter scram, scatter scram
Quickly run and disperse
Scatter scram, Billy Club
Disperse quickly to avoid violent law enforcement, who carry billy clubs
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, PATRICK I. TILON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind