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."
Satuday Teenage Kick
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you can say you're not
But in case you forgot
You gotta give it your best shot
You've been bowin' on spots like metronome
Pack rat packs 'The Papers' like super gnome
Punch the clock in situations no win
Ambitions overrated, gets equated
With the freedom you'll be cravin', motivated than sedated
Feel like crackle doin' battle with the working cattle
The same shackle tackles the fellows, the pains, the marrow
Communities used once then destroyed
To many pawns, just to fill the void
Now you hit reflex real stallion
Blow steam like shining gold medallion
Scandalous, vandalous
Morals vanishing, chemicals refills
Sex kill, panting weekday
One wrecks the promise of 2001 violent
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Hey, get the chicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Hey, get the chicks in
You've been rocking those spots
And you can say you're not
But in case you forgot
You gotta give it your best shot
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Hey, get the chicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Hey, get the chicks in
You've been rocking those spots
And you can say you're not
But in case you forgot
You gotta give it your best shot
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
Hey, get the chicks in
Enough said
The lyrics to Junkie XL's song "Saturday Teenage Kick" describe the feeling of being trapped in a monotonous routine, working tirelessly day after day while feeling unfulfilled and looking for a way out. The song points out how some people lose their ambition over time, and how they get stuck in their respective jobs without having any creative or meaningful outlet; which is equated to being in a "rot".
The lyrics also suggest that there used to be a sense of community and relationship between people that has now been lost, and the void left in its absence is merely filled with more pawns-like situations. The chorus of the song, "Saturday teenage kick, kicks in; Hey, get the chicks in", appears to suggest that Saturday nights, the night of freedom, provide temporary relief to the feeling of being trapped. The song's title also refers to this feeling of release as a teenager on a Saturday night, where youthful recklessness reigns supreme.
Overall, the lyrics argue that there needs to be a balance in life, and that people must find ways to express their creativity and find fulfillment outside of the workplace. Through its high energy and rebellious nature, the song is an anthem for those looking to escape their mundane lives and embrace their passion.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been living in a rot
You've been stuck in a rut, going through the same motions day after day.
And you can say you're not
You may deny it, but the signs are there.
But in case you forgot
In case you have forgotten, it's time for a change.
You gotta give it your best shot
You have to put in effort and try your best to break free.
You've been bowin' on spots like metronome
You've been moving through life like a machine, following the same rhythm every day.
Pack rat packs 'The Papers' like super gnome
You've been collecting unnecessary things like a hoarder, holding onto things that don't really matter.
Punch the clock in situations no win
You're working in a job that doesn't fulfill you, and you feel like you're stuck.
Catch the weekdays past and next begins
You're merely surviving the workweek and letting life pass you by.
Ambitions overrated, gets equated
People often overestimate the importance of having ambitions.
With the freedom you'll be cravin', motivated than sedated
You crave the freedom to pursue your goals, and that motivation will energize you.
Feel like crackle doin' battle with the working cattle
You feel like you're in an endless fight against boredom and monotony.
The same shackle tackles the fellows, the pains, the marrow
The same constraints are affecting everyone, causing pain and going to the core of who we are.
Communities used once then destroyed
Communities are often used for practical purposes, then dismantled once they're no longer necessary.
Too many pawns, just to fill the void
Communities are often used to exploit people, who become pawns in a larger game.
Now you hit reflex real stallion
Now you're waking up and becoming more aware.
Blow steam like shining gold medallion
You feel like you're bursting with energy and vitality.
Scandalous, vandalous
Our values are decaying, and we're becoming destructive.
Morals vanishing, chemicals refills
Our moral compass is disappearing, and we're using drugs and other substances to fill the void.
Sex kill, panting weekday
Sexual desires are dominating our lives, and we're becoming restless and discontented even during the week.
One wrecks the promise of 2001 violent
We're letting our negative impulses and behaviors destroy our potential and hopes for the future.
Saturday teenage kick, kicks in
The excitement and energy of youth is returning.
Hey, get the chicks in
Let's have a good time and enjoy ourselves.
You've been rocking those spots
You've been making the most of your talents and abilities.
But in case you forgot
In case you've forgotten, you have it in you to succeed.
You gotta give it your best shot
You need to put in effort and try your best to reach your potential.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONIUS J. B. TOM HOLKENBORG, ROBERT MOULD, PATRICK IAN TILON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind