Antonius Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), known by his stage name Jun… Read Full Bio ↴Antonius Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), known by his stage name Junkie XL and occasionally JXL, 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. Junkie XL is best known for his remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation", which became a worldwide hit in 2002.

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."

Never Alone
Junkie XL Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
You're never alone

When time is tight
Days are long
Got to find the light
And keep it on

In times like these
Sisters and brothers
Lights are abound
The truth needs no color

So much to play
No time to play it
Got nothin' to say
I'm gonna say it
Say it on my own

Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
You're never alone

Was there a past
Is there a future
Got to turn your hands
To whatever suits ya

Whatever it takes
You've gotta take it
You keep your faith
You're gonna make it
Make it on your own

Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
You're never alone

So much to play
No time to play it
Got nothin' to say
I'm gonna say it
Say it
Say it
Say it on my own

Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
Woah, woah woah woah woah
You're never alone [Repeat: x 2]

You're never alone
You're never alone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Junkie XL Feat. Terry Hall's song Never Alone convey the idea that no matter what situation you find yourself in, you are never truly alone. The song suggests that even in challenging times, there is light that can be found to guide you through. The lyrics speak to the importance of having the support of others, as there is strength in numbers when facing obstacles. The song is about resilience and perseverance, and realizing that having faith in yourself and what you believe in can help you navigate through life.

The chorus is particularly powerful, repeating "You're never alone" multiple times to drive home the message. The verses emphasize the need to remain positive, even when things are tough. The line "In times like these, sisters and brothers, lights are abound, the truth needs no color" suggests that in times of crisis, people come together and truth becomes more apparent. The song reminds us that we have the ability to make our own path and find our own way in life, no matter what struggles we may face.

Overall, the lyrics to Never Alone provide a message of hope and encouragement, suggesting that no one is truly alone in their struggles and that there is always a way to find hope and support in difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

Woah, woah woah woah woah
A repetitive expression symbolizing a feeling of excitement or encouragement

You're never alone
You are never by yourself

When time is tight
When you have little time

Days are long
When the days feel long and hard to get through

Got to find the light
You need to find hope or positivity

And keep it on
And hold on to it

In times like these
During difficult times

Sisters and brothers
People around you

Lights are abound
Hope is present

The truth needs no color
The truth is universal and does not discriminate

So much to play
So many possibilities