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."
Today
Junkie XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I have seen
Lost up in the skies
Caught in a dream
What you whisper to me
And breathe into my veins
And believe in magic
To wash away the stain
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
Give me all the weight
That holds you down
Don?t let it stop
And burn in for the sound
And the world keeps moving
It's all I've ever known
And I know inside that
I'll never be alone
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
The lyrics of Junkie XL's song "Today" convey hope and the power of believing in magic to overcome the stains of the past. The singer describes the blueness of the eyes of someone they have seen caught up in a dream up in the skies. The person whispered something to the singer that conjures up magical feelings, which flow through their veins like a tonic. The song conveys an inspirational message of hope, urging the listener to hold on tight and take each day as it comes, never losing hope.
The song's melancholic sound reflects on the singer's experience of a world that keeps moving, withholds them down with its weight, and threatens to stop them. But within, they possess the knowledge that they will never alone, and that is the message they wish to convey to their listeners. The song is a timely reminder to embrace every moment while hoping for better days ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got the bluest eyes
Your eyes are blue and captivating
That I have seen
I have not seen such beautiful eyes before
Lost up in the skies
Your eyes seem to be looking at the sky with awe
Caught in a dream
You seem to be in a state of deep thought or imagination
What you whisper to me
The things that you say to me softly
And breathe into my veins
You fill me with a sense of life and vitality
And believe in magic
You have a belief in the power of the unexplained
To wash away the stain
To cleanse and remove anything that is impure or unwanted
And it feels like today
This moment feels special and significant
So just hold on tight
Hold onto this feeling and don't let go
And let it slip away
Don't let this feeling escape you
Give me all the weight
Share with me all the burdens that weigh you down
That holds you down
That keeps you from rising up or moving forward
Don?t let it stop
Don't allow these burdens to hinder your progress
And burn in for the sound
Let your passion for music burn within you
And the world keeps moving
Life and the world keep going, whether we are ready or not
It's all I've ever known
This fast-paced and ever-changing world is all I've ever experienced
And I know inside that
Deep down, I am confident that
I'll never be alone
I will always have somebody by my side, whether it be a friend or loved one
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: LUCAS BANKER, TOM HOLKENBORG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jairofrancoguzman668
Lyrics:
You've got the bluest eyes
That I have seen
Lost up in the skies
Caught in a dream
What you whisper to me
And breathe into my veins
And believe in magic
To wash away the stain
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
X2
Give me all the weight
That holds you down
Don't let it stop
And burn in for the sound
And the world keeps moving
It's all I've ever known
And I know inside that
I'll never be alone
And it feels like today
So just hold on tight
And let it slip away
X6
@danielramadelcastillo8890
My tears are falling when I remember myself playing Burnout Revenge while listening this awsome theme...Time passes but music prevails.
@sokalotaposi
Facts. Good ol days when waking up playing Burnout Legends after breakfast was the best moment ever. 100% nostalgia
@glebovik223
And it feels like today...
@ChroNomadics
@GLEBOVIK 123 crying now
@1101trash
@CUCKOO RELOADED for real
@ULTRABOOOOO
I actually play burnout revenge. Love this game since 2006.
@robertreid1579
It really surprises me that in 2020 I found out Junkie XL is not only a multi-instrumentalist and a DJ but also a composer for movies. Like that just blows me away. And I'm glad I've been a fan of him since this song Today was featured in Burnout Revenge.
@davehidden3939
Yeah! My favourite track is "lights across the river"
@fitlife_junkie21
2019 and I’m still listening to this. Thank you Burnout Revenge😁
@tadoee5997
Taran Bassette same here