Junkie XL

Junkie XL
Background information
Birth name	Tom Holkenborg
Also known as	Junkie XL, JXL
Born	December 8, 1967 (1967-12-08)
Origin	Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands
Genres	Electronica
Instruments	Keyboard instruments, guitar, drums
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Artwerk
Associated acts	A Forest Called Mulu Mambo Jambo Nerve Weekend at Waikiki
Website	www.junkiexl.com

Junkie XL

Tom Holkenborg (born December 8, 1967 in Lichtenvoorde, Gelderland, Netherlands), better known as Junkie XL or JXL, is a Dutch musician. He uses the name JXL in cases where the term "Junkie" might cause offense. XL is for "Xpanding Limits".

Biography

He discovered music by learning and playing many instruments, including guitar, bass, piano, and drums. Although he was classically trained by his mother (herself an accredited violin teacher), it was not long until he discovered synthesizers and joined the Dutch New Wave group Weekend at Waikiki as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. In 1993, Holkenborg then produced the second metal album Almost a Dance by Dutch band The Gathering. He then expanded his horizon further to form the industrial rock band Nerve with vocalist Phil Mills and released 2 full-length albums in 1994 and 1995. During this period, Holkenborg built his music repertoire by freelance producing and quickly landed projects for bands such as Sepultura, Fear Factory, and Dog Eat Dog, as well as for video games, movies, and TV spots.

Holkenborg’s solo efforts include 1998’s Saturday Teenage Kick, 2000’s Big Sounds of the Drags and 2003’s Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin. The latter counted collaborations with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, Gary Numan, Robert Smith from The Cure, and Public Enemy’s Chuck D.. The U.S. release included his breakthrough remix of Elvis Presley's moderately successful 1968 single "A Little Less Conversation" for a 2002 Nike World Cup Commercial. The updated version unexpectedly^{[citation needed]} catapulted Holkenborg into the spotlight. The song became a No. 1 hit in more than twenty countries. Today and Booming Back at You (BB@Y) are his latest solo efforts.

Holkenborg is known as a talented remixer, drawing critical acclaim with remixes of tracks by Britney Spears, Bloc Party, Michael Bublé, Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Rammstein, Scissor Sisters, Justin Timberlake, and the aforementioned Fear Factory. With an extraordinary work ethic, which routinely includes fourteen-hour days in his studio,^{[citation needed]} Holkenborg keeps extremely busy creating the music for video games. He has contributed music to Sims theme music for the computer game The Sims 2, the soundtrack for the Xbox racing game Forza Motorsport, and the soundtrack for futuristic Xbox racing game Quantum Redshift. He has also provided music for the films Kingdom of Heaven, Domino, and DOA: Dead or Alive. His song "Today" was featured as one of the tracks on EA's Burnout: Legends, apparently before the album was released. "Today" is also on EA's Burnout: Revenge. He also produced a remix of the God of War 2 theme. Holkenborg remixed Yonderboi's "People Always Talk About The Weather" in exchange of Yonderboi's remix of Today. His cover of the Siouxsie And The Banshees song "Cities in Dust", which featured Lauren Rocket, is also on EA's Burnout: Paradise.

Holkenborg is responsible for the SSX Blur original soundtrack, along with contributions to many of the other SSX games in the franchise, and EA's Need For Speed: Pro Street.

Currently he is signed to Artwerk, the new Los Angeles-based label formed by Electronic Arts and Nettwerk One Music.

In September 2007, Holkenborg joined the ArtEZ School of Music as its special teacher of Composition & Music Design. He now lives in Malibu, CA.

Holkenborg's single "More" was released in Fall 2007. Both Joost van Bellen and Gerald van der Kaap have been shooting the video for the clip in New York together with female singer Lauren Rocket. "More" is also featured on the soundtrack of Need for Speed: ProStreet.

Tom Holkenborg remixed the Eagles of Death Metal's "Don't Speak" for the 2008 Nike advert "Take it to the Next Level". On August 17, his manager confirmed to a Dutch magazine that Junkie XL has written and produced 3 tracks for Britney Spears' upcoming album. He also added that it is still unknown whether the tracks will be on the record.

His song "Dark Territory" is included on newer Zune models.

Discography

Albums

• Saturday Teenage Kick (1997)
• Big Sounds of the Drags (1999)
• Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin (2003)
• Today (2006)
• Booming Back at You (2008)

Soundtrack albums

• Music From SSX Blur – iTunes/Zune Marketplace/Amazon MP3 (2007)
• Need For Speed: ProStreet – iTunes/Zune Marketplace/Amazon MP3 (2007)

Bootleg albums

• The Castbreeder a bootleg album

Singles/EPs

• "Def Beat" 12" 1997 the most successful single of JXL's album Saturday Teenage Kick, featured in racing video games like Gran Turismo 3, Need for Speed: High Stakes, and Test Drive 5.
• "Billy Club" CDS 1997
• "Saturday Teenage Kick" CDS 1998 #141 (UK)
• "Zerotonine" CDS 1999 (also featured on Dave Seaman's Global Underground 016: Cape Town)
• "Love Like Razorblade" CDS 2000
• "Zerotonine (Remix) / Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)" CDS 2000 #63 (UK)
• "Bon Voyage" CDS 2000 #184 (UK)
• "Future in Computer Hell" (featured on Sasha's Global Underground 013: Ibiza)
• "Dance Valley 2000" CDS
• "Action Radius" (the track from the game Need for Speed: Underground and from the Unreleased beta of Need For Speed: Carbon)
• "Beauty Never Fades" 12" (feat. Saffron of Republica) (also appears in the trailer "EVE Never Fades" for the MMO Eve Online)
• "A Little Less Conversation" (vs. Elvis Presley) #1 (UK), #1 (AUS), #50 (US)
• "Breezer" 12" (with Sasha, featured on Deep Dish's Global Underground 025: Toronto)
• "Catch Up To My Step" CDS 2003 (feat. Solomon Burke) #40 (BEL), #63 (UK)
• "Don't Wake Up Policeman" CDS 2003 (feat. Peter Tosh)
• "Between These Walls" CDS 2004 (feat. Anouk) #35 (NL)
• "Obsession" 12" (with DJ Tiësto) #56 (UK)
• "Crusher" (feat. Saffron of Republica) – Theme song of Quantum Redshift
• "Red Pill Blue Pill" 2003 (from Animatrix OST)
• "UR / A Tear In The Open" 2005 Junkie XL's remix was included as the A-Side of Tiësto's single
• "Today" CDS 2006 (the title track from his 2006 release Today)
• "Colossus of Rhodes" a remix from the God of War 2 soundtrack, which was included as an extra on its release
• "Breezer" from Lumines II
• "More EP" inspired by the sounds of the classic arcade game Pac-Man, #40 (US) Billboard: Global Dance Track
• "More More"
• "Cities in Dust" a cover of Siouxsie & The Banshees
• "Beating Back At You Vol 1 (More Progressive)" it includes "Roux", an exclusive track for Beatport, and the Dub Mix of "Not Enough"
• "Beating Back At You Vol 2 (More Techno)" it includes versions of "Prevent Confusion", an exclusive track for Beatport, and "Zage" from the Booming Back at You album
• "Fairlight EP" out on Nettwerk
• "Molly's E" out on Beatport

Remixes

• 1993 Kong - "Høk"
• 1997 Fear Factory – "Burn"
• 1997 Fear Factory – "Cyberdyne"
• 1997 Fear Factory – "Refueled"
• 1997 Fear Factory – "Genetic Blueprint"
• 1997 Fear Factory – "Bionic Chronic"
• 1997 Dog Eat Dog – "Step Right In"
• 1998 3 Colours Red – "Paralyse"
• 1998 Project Pitchfork – "Carnival"
• 1998 (HED) P.E. – "Serpent Boy"
• 1999 Fear Factory – "Cars"
• 1999 Fear Factory – "Descent"
• 1999 Kong – "Yèllow Mystiç"
• 1999 Soulfly – "Umbabarauma"
• 1999 Tanith – "T.A.N.I.T.H."
• 2000 DJ Sandy vs. Housetrap – "Overdrive"
• 2000 Shanks & Bigfoot – "Sing-A-Long"
• 2000 Praga Khan – "Power of The Flower"
• 2000 Junkie XL – "Zeronotine"
• 2000 Way Out West – "UB Devoid"
• 2001 Ayumi Hamasaki – "Vogue"
• 2001 Conjure One – "Redemption"
• 2002 Natalie Imbruglia – "Beauty On The Fire"
• 2002 Elvis Presley – "A Little Less Conversation"
• 2002 Fischerspooner – "Emerge"
• 2002 Rammstein – "Feuer frei!"
• 2003 Conjure One – "Center of The Sun"
• 2003 Syntax – "Pray"
• 2003 Dave Gahan – "Dirty Sticky Floors"
• 2003 Infusion – "Legacy"
• 2003 BT – "Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved)"
• 2003 Fear Factory – "Edgecrusher"
• 2003 Junkie XL – "Between These Walls"
• 2003 Junkie XL – "Angels"
• 2003 Mylène Farmer – "XXL"
• 2003 Scissor Sisters – "Mary"
• 2004 Michael Bublé – "Spider-Man theme song"
• 2004 Britney Spears – "Outrageous"

• 2004 Beastie Boys – "Fight For Your Right"
• 2004 Ryukyu Underground – "Seragaki"
• 2004 Sarah McLachlan – "World On Fire"
• 2005 Tiësto – "UR"
• 2005 Britney Spears – "And Then We Kiss"
• 2005 The Crew Cuts – "Sh-Boom"
• 2005 The Go-Go's – "Our Lips Are Sealed"
• 2005 Culture Club – "I'll Tumble 4 Ya"
• 2006 Niyaz – "Dilruba"
• 2006 Mark Mothersbaugh – "The Sims Theme"
• 2006 Coldplay – "Talk"
• 2006 Scissor Sisters – "Land of a Thousand Words"
• 2006 Yonderboi – "People Always Talk About The Weather"
• 2006 UNKLE – "Burn My Shadow"
• 2007 melody. – "Feel The Rush"
• 2007 Fatboy Slim – "Weapon of Choice"
• 2007 Avril Lavigne – "Girlfriend"
• 2007 Junkie XL – "Colossus of Rhodes"
• 2007 Justin Timberlake – "What Goes Around..."
• 2007 Junkie XL – "More"
• 2007 Britney Spears – "Gimme More"
• 2008 Junkie XL – "Cities in Dust"
• 2008 Junkie XL – "Not Enough"
• 2008 Madonna and Justin Timberlake – "4 Minutes"
• 2008 Eagles of Death Metal – "Don't Speak"
• 2008 Jape – "I Was A Man"
• 2008 Tom Jones – "Feels Like Music"
• 2008 Lisa Miskovsky – "Still Alive" (Soundtrack for EA's new DICE game Mirror's Edge)
• 2009 Nami Tamaki Album – Tamaki Nami Reproduct Best (All Remixed Songs)
• 2010 Crookers – "Cooler Couleur (Junkie XL Remix)"
• 2010 Hans Zimmer – Inception

Featured games

• The Need for Speed (1995)
• Test Drive 5 (1998)
• Need for Speed: High Stakes (1999)
• Demolition Racer: No Exit (2000)
• Gran Turismo 3 (2001)
• Quantum Redshift (2002)
• EVE Online (2003)
• Need for Speed: Underground (2003)
• The Sims 2: Nightlife (2005)
• Forza Motorsport (2005)
• Destroy All Humans! (2005)
• Burnout Revenge (2005)
• Burnout Legends (2005)
• The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005)
• Infected (video game) (2005)
• Need for Speed: Carbon (2006)
• Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2 (2007)
• God of War 2 (2007)
• SSX Blur (2007)
• FIFA 08 (2007)
• Need For Speed: ProStreet (2007)
• Burnout Paradise (2008)
• FIFA Street 3 (2008)
• Mirror's Edge (2008)
• The Sims 3: Late Night (2010)
• The Sims 3 (console) (2010)
• FIFA 09 (2008)
• Tap Tap Dance (2008)

UEFA Euro 2004 (2004)

External links

• Junkie XL official website
• Junkie XL at the Internet Movie Database
• JunkieXL YouTube Video Page at YouTube
• JunkieXL Interview with Alchemy SBS Radio 2008
• "JunkieXL – Mass Consumption", JIVE Magazine, May 2, 2005
• Interview with Garrett Shatzer for Onbeat, 2006