Tom Holkenborg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Holkenborg
Holkenborg at the Ultra Music Festival in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Antonius Holkenborg
Also known as	JXL
Born	(1967-12-08) 8 December 1967 (age 57) Lichtenvoorde, Gelderland, Netherlands
Genres	Big beat electronic trance ambient electronic rock film score
Occupation(s)	Composer multi-instrumentalist DJ producer engineer
Instruments	Keyboards synthesizer turntables guitar drums
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Artwerk Ultra Roadrunner
Associated acts	A Forest Called Mulu Mambo Jambo Nerve Weekend at Waikiki Hans Zimmer Remote Control Productions

Tom Holkenborg (born December 8, 1967), also known as JXL, is a talented artist from the Netherlands. He is a composer (someone who writes music), a multi-instrumentalist (plays many instruments), a DJ, a producer, and an engineer.

Tom Holkenborg first became known for his electronic dance music. Later, he started creating big beat music and writing music for movies. One of his biggest hits was a remix of Elvis Presley's song "A Little Less Conversation" in 2002. This remix became a huge success all over the world.

He has worked on many famous movie scores, often with the well-known composer Hans Zimmer. Some of the movies he has scored include Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Alita: Battle Angel, and the Sonic the Hedgehog movies.

Early Life and Music Start

Tom Holkenborg was born in Lichtenvoorde, a town in the Netherlands. His mother was a music teacher, and she taught him classical music from a young age. He started playing the piano when he was just three years old. By age eight, he was playing drums, and at 12, he picked up the guitar.

When he was 14, he started playing the bass guitar. He was inspired by bands like Pink Floyd and King Crimson. At 17, he moved to Leeuwarden and worked in a music store. There, he learned to love mixing electronic sounds with traditional instruments.

Soon after, he discovered synthesizers and joined a Dutch band called Weekend at Waikiki. He played many instruments and helped produce their music. He toured with them from 1988 to 1991. Tom also produced music for other bands, like The Gathering and industrial rock band Nerve. He even licensed his electronic music for video games like The Need For Speed.

Music Career Highlights

Early Albums: Saturday Teenage Kick and Big Sounds of the Drags

In 1997, Tom Holkenborg released his first album, Saturday Teenage Kick. Many songs on this album featured vocals from Patrick "Rude Boy" Tilon. After touring with The Prodigy and playing at big festivals, Holkenborg became well-known in the U.S. rave scene.

His second album, Big Sounds of the Drags, came out in 1999. Patrick Tilon also sang on many tracks, like "Action Radius" and "Love Like Razorblade". A song from this album, "Future in Computer Hell (Part 2)", was featured on a popular mix album by DJ Sasha.

2002: The "A Little Less Conversation" Remix

While working on music for movies like Blade and The Beach, Holkenborg got a special request. He was asked to remix Elvis Presley's 1968 song "A Little Less Conversation". This remix was for a Nike World Cup commercial in 2002.

It was a big deal because it was the first time Elvis Presley's family allowed his music to be remixed. The song became a massive hit, reaching number one in 24 countries. It was released as "Elvis vs. JXL". The remix was also used in many movies and TV shows, including Shark Tale and Las Vegas.

2003: Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin

The success of the Elvis remix led to his 2003 double album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin. The name "Computer Hell" came from his studio in Amsterdam. This album was like a fake pirate radio station.

The "3PM" side of the album featured collaborations with famous musicians. These included Robert Smith from The Cure, Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode, and Chuck D from Public Enemy. It also included the Elvis Presley remix. The "3AM" side had more instrumental electronic music.

Moving to Los Angeles and New Albums

JXL performing live in 2006

In 2003, Tom Holkenborg moved to Los Angeles. In 2006, he released his fourth album, Today. This album showed the changes happening in his life. It had more guitar sounds, similar to his first two albums.

His fifth album, Booming Back at You, came out in 2008. This album had a stronger club music sound. It featured collaborations with artists like Steve Aoki and Nicole Morier. This album was his first to appear on the Billboard's Top Electronic Album chart in the U.S.

2012: Synthesized

On November 27, 2012, JXL released his sixth album, Synthesized. Before the album, he released two singles: "Molly's E" and "Gloria". The album balanced the thoughtful sound of Today with the club feel of Booming Back at You. It included collaborations with Isis Salam and Curt Smith from Tears for Fears.

Composing for Movies

Tom Holkenborg has become a very successful film composer. He started by adding music to films like Domino (2005). He also composed the music for the Dutch film Blind, which won an award for Best Original Music Score.

He often works with Hans Zimmer, a famous film composer. They have collaborated on many projects, including The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and Man of Steel. Holkenborg has provided music for many other major films, such as Kingdom of Heaven and Resident Evil.

In 2013, he composed the music for Paranoia. He then scored 300: Rise of an Empire and Divergent. He was also part of a group called The Magnificent Six, which included Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams. This group composed the music for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

He was the main composer for the action-packed films Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Deadpool (2016). He also worked with Hans Zimmer on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. More recently, he has composed scores for Tomb Raider, Alita: Battle Angel, Terminator: Dark Fate, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, Scoob!, Zack Snyder's Justice League, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Army of the Dead.

Composing for Video Games

Tom Holkenborg has also created original music for video games since the mid-1990s. He composed soundtracks for racing games like Forza Motorsport and Quantum Redshift. He also created the soundtrack for SSX Blur.

Many of his album tracks have been used in video games. For example, songs from Big Sounds of the Drags were in TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed. The title track from Today was in Burnout Legends. His song "More" from Booming Back at You was in Need for Speed: ProStreet, for which he also wrote a full score. He has contributed music to popular series like The Sims 2: Nightlife, Need for Speed: Underground, and FIFA 08. He also composed the soundtrack for EA's Darkspore.

Famous Remixes

JXL performing live in 2008

Holkenborg is well-known for his remixes of songs by many different artists. He has remixed tracks for huge pop stars and lesser-known musicians. Some of his notable remixes include songs for Scissor Sisters, Depeche Mode ("Enjoy the Silence"), Justin Timberlake ("What Goes Around"), Fatboy Slim ("Weapon of Choice"), Coldplay ("Talk"), and Madonna ("4 Minutes").

His remix for Britney Spears' "Outrageous" was used in the 2004 movie Catwoman. In 2008, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his remix of Madonna's "4 Minutes". His remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" was a number one hit in 24 countries.

Commercial Work

Tom Holkenborg's music has also been used in many international advertisements for big brands. These include Nike, Adidas, Heineken, and Cadillac. His remix of "Don't Speak" by Eagles of Death Metal was used in a 2008 Nike commercial directed by Guy Ritchie. His song "Today" was featured in ESPN commercials for Major League Soccer.

In 2003, he created the main musical theme for the Dutch television channel Nederland 3.

Personal Life

Tom Holkenborg is also a teacher. He is an associate professor at the ArtEZ Conservatorium, which is a major art school in the Netherlands. He teaches students about producing music, remixing, and music composition. He currently lives in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California.

Discography

Studio 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)
• Synthesized (2012)

Film Scores

Video Game Scores

Television Scores

See also

In Spanish: Junkie XL para niños