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."
Perfect Blue Sky
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you and me alone again
hand in hand we stand under the perfect blue sky
waiting for the world...
hand in hand we stand below a perfect blue sky
you and me alone again
hand in hand we stand under the perfect blue sky
waiting for the world...
no endless time to dream
to fall in love
to ever get to know
a few short summer days
is all the sweetest life we ever live
a fleeting glimpse before we go
side by side we slide below a perfect blue sky
not sure where and not sure when
side by side we slide under the perfect blue sky
waiting for the world...
we always knew this day would come
too soon the perfect blue
to grey and black
and all at once is cold
the hopes we had to grow
to understand the reasons why
all gone
a million stories left untold
so hand in hand we stand below a perfect blue sky
you and me alone again
hand in hand we stand under the perfect blue sky
waiting for the world to end
The song "Perfect Blue Sky" by Junkie XL describes the bittersweet passage of time and the inevitable end of everything. The first stanza speaks of two people standing hand in hand under a perfect blue sky, waiting for the world. They are alone and seem to be enjoying each other's company, but there is a sense of longing in the repetition of the phrase "waiting for the world." The second stanza acknowledges that time is limited and there is no endless time to dream or fall in love. The line "a few short summer days is all the sweetest life we ever live" summarizes this idea. There is a feeling of urgency, as the time they have is running out.
The third stanza introduces the idea of sliding side by side, still under the perfect blue sky but unsure of where and when they will end up. The line "we always knew this day would come" suggests that they were aware of the impermanence of their situation. The fourth stanza describes the change of the sky from blue to grey and black, and how suddenly everything becomes cold. The hopes they had for growth and understanding are gone, and there are a million stories left untold. The final stanza again speaks of standing hand in hand, but this time waiting for the world to end. There is no more waiting for something to happen, as everything is now out of their control.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of both beauty and melancholy. The perfect blue sky represents a moment of happiness and peace, but it is fleeting and cannot last forever. The lyrics are a reminder to appreciate every moment, as time is limited and nothing is permanent.
Line by Line Meaning
hand in hand we stand below a perfect blue sky
Together we stand beneath the beauty of a flawless blue sky
you and me alone again
Just the two of us, as we often are
hand in hand we stand under the perfect blue sky
Our hands are clasped as we stand tranquil beneath the sky's splendor
waiting for the world...
We're unsure what lies before us, but we stand together to face it
it's not as if we have that long
We understand that our time is limited, and we must make the most of it
no endless time to dream
We can't waste time fantasizing about an infinite future
to fall in love
We're aware we might only have a brief chance to experience true love
to ever get to know
Understanding each other fully might not be possible in our finite time
a few short summer days
The time we have feels like only a brief summer vacation
is all the sweetest life we ever live
Life is short, but it can still be sweet and beautiful
a fleeting glimpse before we go
Our time in this world is fleeting and quick
side by side we slide below a perfect blue sky
Together we move through life, uncertain where we're headed
not sure where and not sure when
We can't predict what'll happen or when
side by side we slide under the perfect blue sky
Together we move through life's ups and downs, beneath the serene sky
waiting for the world...
Uncertain what will happen, but still together and resolute
we always knew this day would come
We understood our human mortality and the inevitability of aging
too soon the perfect blue to grey and black
All of life's beauty and joy will eventually fade away to darkness
and all at once is cold
We know that the end will be sudden and final
the hopes we had to grow
The dreams we once had of growing and changing will never come to fruition
to understand the reasons why
We won't have enough time to figure out the meaning of life
all gone
Everything we hoped for and dreamed of, gone in an instant
a million stories left untold
Countless tales and experiences will be left untold and forgotten
so hand in hand we stand below a perfect blue sky
As the world falls apart, we'll still stand together beneath the sky's beauty
you and me alone again
Once more, it's just the two of us
hand in hand we stand under the perfect blue sky
Our hands intertwined as we brace for the end
waiting for the world to end
Facing the end of all things, hand in hand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, ROBERT JAMES SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind