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."
Love Like Razorblade
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you know how to play Russian Roulette?
No, I don't
You play Russian Roulette this way
I have this pistol one bullet in chamber
Spin cylinder, cock the gun
Hold the gun to your head
Now you go, here is the pistol
Uh, what do you say, when we do two out of three
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass you're embracing a stay
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass you're embracing a stay
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Ah, you lose
The lyrics of Junkie XL's Love Like Razorblade describe a dangerous and deadly game called Russian Roulette. The song opens with a conversation between two individuals where one person proposes to play the game. He explains the rules of the game, and the other person agrees to play. The mood of the song is eerie, as it speaks of a choice that has potentially fatal consequences. The lyrics have a deep meaning, and they could be interpreted as a metaphor for love, where one person is willing to take their chances with a dangerous and deadly relationship.
The chorus of the song is repetitive, with the phrase "fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay" being repeated several times. The bass in the song represents the heart, where love resides. The chorus might symbolize the idea of falling in love like one falls into the bass, an all-encompassing and powerful force. The phrase "love razorblade" also appears in the chorus, which could be interpreted as love that is cutting, sharp, and dangerous.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Like Razorblade talk about love that is risky, deadly, and sharp. It speaks of the importance of taking chances in love, of embracing the unknown, and of being willing to fall despite the risks.
Line by Line Meaning
To play Russian Roulette
Inviting someone to play a dangerous game
Do you know how to play Russian Roulette?
Asking if the person is familiar with the rules of the game
No, I don't
The person is unsure and inexperienced
You play Russian Roulette this way
Demonstrating how to play the game
I have this pistol one bullet in chamber
Describing the setup of the game
Spin cylinder, cock the gun
Explaining the steps to prepare for the game
Hold the gun to your head
Instructing the player to hold the gun in a specific way
And pull the trigger
Telling the player how to end the game
Now you go, here is the pistol
Handing over the gun to the other person to play the game
Uh, what do you say, when we do two out of three
Suggesting to play multiple rounds of the game
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass
Encouraging the listener to fall into the rhythm of the music
Fall in the bass, you're embrace
The bass is embracing the listener, making them feel the music
Fall in the bass, you're embrace, Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Fall in the bass, you're embrace, Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
The embrace of the music is making the listener stay and enjoy it
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay
The music is making the listener stay and keep feeling the rhythm
Let's come from eight when love razorblade
A sudden shift in topic, talking about love and its dangers
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay, Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Connecting the previous two lines and continuing the idea of love and music
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay, Let's come from eight when love razorblade
A repeated call to enjoy the music and let love cut like a razor blade
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass
Again, encouraging the listener to fall into the rhythm of the music
Fall in the bass, fall in the bass you're embracing a stay
Repeating the idea of being embraced by the music and not wanting to leave
Fall in the bass, you're embracing a stay, Let's come from eight when love razorblade
Connecting the two ideas of music and love, inviting the listener to experience them together
Fall in the bass, you're embrace, Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Repeating the line from earlier, still urging the listener to feel the music
Fall in the bass, you're embrace, Fall in the bass, you're embrace
Repeated for emphasis, as if the music is hypnotizing the listener
Ah, you lose
A sudden conclusion, reminding the listener of the dangerous game of Russian Roulette
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, PATRICK IAN TILON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind