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."
Reload
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't believe the lies have spread
See, I can't see the world
It just lumbers in my head
So pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Into your mind, read the signs
Reload, reload
Pick yourself up and dust yourself
I've been looking for some time
I knew that I had to be much more
So pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Into your mind, read the signs
Into your mind, read the signs
Reload, reload
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Reload, reload
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Into your mind, read the signs
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Into your mind, read the signs
So pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Reload, reload
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Reload, reload
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
The lyrics to Junkie XL's song "Reload" portray a sense of agitation and disillusionment with the world. The singer is tired of the lies that have spread, and feels disconnected from the world around them - it just lumbers in their head. In response to this, the lyrics urge the listener to pick themselves up and dust themselves down, and to read the signs that are present in their own mind. The repetition of "reload" throughout the song serves as a call to action - a reminder to refresh oneself and to approach the world with a renewed perspective.
The lyrics of "Reload" are relatively sparse, but they are delivered with a sense of urgency and determination. There is a palpable sense of frustration in the singer's voice, and the repetitive nature of the song serves to reinforce this. Additionally, the focus on the internal - the suggestion that the listener should focus on what is within their own mind - creates a sense of isolation and self-reliance.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been watching for some time
I've been observing my surroundings for a considerable amount of time
Can't believe the lies have spread
I'm shocked by the extent to which false information has become widespread
See, I can't see the world
Despite looking around me, I can't seem to perceive the world clearly
It just lumbers in my head
My perception of the world feels heavy and overwhelming
So pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Take action to improve your situation despite obstacles and setbacks
Into your mind, read the signs
Paying attention to your thoughts and emotions can give you important insights
Reload, reload
Start anew and approach things with a fresh perspective
I've been looking for some time
I've been searching for a solution or a way forward for a significant length of time
I knew that I had to be much more
I was aware that I needed to improve myself or rise to a challenge
Into your mind, read the signs
Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions, they can guide you
So pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Take a positive outlook and keep moving forward
Reload, reload
Start anew and approach things with renewed vigor
Into your mind, read the signs
Observe your own thoughts and emotions, they can be enlightening
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Pick yourself up after failure or disappointment
Reload, reload
Start fresh and with a new outlook
Pick yourself up and dust yourself down
Don't let setbacks keep you down
Reload, reload
Approach things with a fresh perspective and renewed energy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, D. GAHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind