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."
Melange
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If the othordox ways crime
Ingnorance tricks the men
Sting again
Like porcupine
Skin complexion
Won't give direction
Hail to mulatto
Farrago
Anything with a twist yo
For the night flows hot like sirocco
Mix with all for the ritual.
Win skin like Marlon Brando
In the last tango
Now I'm single
In the disco
Club schizo
When the disk spins loud colloyuial go.
Juices up
Loosen up
Let the lust overflows my cup pop.
Mix it with mine, blend it with yours.
Seeking a true force melange.
Never mind
Check the signs
Intertwine,
Cool: melange.
Ascetic aspects get no contact
Amatory looks for hot sex,
Screaming from your voice box, larynx
O yeah!
Steppin' to a girl that basically is way out of your league
Out of reach,
But the peach
Makes lips glisten,
Blushin' your cheeks,
Hold the courage and the guts
Aided by Millerquads or Buds
Alcohol creates the stud
To strut
In perfect duds
So much for phase one,
It takes one line to flake out son
As you glance
Top - bottom, butt
Gives the shakes on
Shoot the gift
For swift quick linguistic
Let libido uplift,
Arrange the melody
On the Freud theraphy tip
Figure you have potential,
She wetting lips.
It was a test,
Now your perfect match
'cause' the fire is lit.
Background unknown
But the sex drives the prone
Get the conversation on,
And dig out ones skulls to bone.
The lyrics of Junkie XL's song Melange talk about the search for the perfect mix, the perfect combination. The song speaks to the idea that by blending together different elements, whether it be alcohol or people from different backgrounds, one can find the perfect mix. The use of metaphors such as "porcupine" and "skin complexion" suggest that this mix should include people from different races and backgrounds.
The lyrics suggest that the search for the perfect mix is not an easy one, and that one must have the courage and guts to pursue it. The song suggests that by mixing things together without fear, one can achieve a deeper understanding of oneself and one's desires.
Overall, Junkie XL's song Melange explores the idea of mixing things together to achieve the perfect blend. It speaks to the importance of embracing diversity and being open to new experiences in order to achieve personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Mix it with mine, with yours
Let's blend our drinks together
If the orthodox ways crime
Conventional methods may be unlawful or frowned upon
Ignorance tricks the men
Stupidity deceives people
Sting again
Inflict pain, just like a porcupine
Like porcupine
Inflict pain like a porcupine
Skin complexion
One's skin color doesn't provide guidance
Won't give direction
Won't provide guidance
Hail to mulatto
Celebrating biracial people
Italiano
Italian
Farrago
Mixture of various things
Anything with a twist yo
Anything unique or different, yo!
For the night flows hot like sirocco
The night is hot and passionate like a strong wind
Mix with all for the ritual.
Mix drinks with everyone for the party.
Win skin like Marlon Brando
Achieve a smooth and cool complexion like Marlon Brando
In the last tango
In the final dance or act of passion
Now I'm single
I am now alone
In the disco
At the discotheque
Club schizo
A chaotic and crazy club
When the disk spins loud colloyuial go.
When the music is loud, let loose and dance with improvisation.
Juices up
Get excited and pumped up
Loosen up
Relax and let go
Let the lust overflows my cup pop.
Give in to lust and enjoy
Mix it with mine, blend it with yours.
Let's mix our drinks together
Seeking a true force melange.
Searching for the perfect drink mixture
Never mind
Don't worry about it
Check the signs
Examine the cues
Intertwine,
Interconnect
Cool: melange.
Cool mixture
Ascetic aspects get no contact
Refraining from pleasure offers no satisfaction
Amatory looks for hot sex,
Looking for physical pleasure
Screaming from your voice box, larynx
Screaming loudly
O yeah!
Oh yeah!
Steppin' to a girl that basically is way out of your league
Approaching a girl who is considered more attractive than you are
Out of reach,
Impossible to attain
But the peach
But her physical appearance is tempting
Makes lips glisten,
Attracted to her lips
Blushin' your cheeks,
Feeling embarrassed
Hold the courage and the guts
Be brave and confident
Aided by Millerquads or Buds
Drinking alcohol to gain confidence
Alcohol creates the stud
Drinking alcohol makes you feel more attractive and a better lover
To strut
To show off
In perfect duds
Wearing fancy and expensive clothes
So much for phase one,
That was just the beginning
It takes one line to flake out son
One wrong move can ruin everything
As you glance
As you look
Top - bottom, butt
Checking out her body
Gives the shakes on
It makes you nervous
Shoot the gift
Impress her with your words
For swift quick linguistic
Speak fluently and quickly to impress her
Let libido uplift,
Let your sexual drive take over
Arrange the melody
Make the conversation flow
On the Freud therapy tip
Using psychological techniques to seduce her
Figure you have potential,
Believe you have a chance
She wetting lips.
She is aroused
It was a test,
It was a challenge
Now your perfect match
Now she is the perfect match
'cause' the fire is lit.
Because the passion is ignited
Background unknown
Her past or history is unclear
But the sex drives the prone
The physical attraction is strong
Get the conversation on,
Start the conversation
And dig out ones skulls to bone.
And have sex.
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, PATRICK IAN TILON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind