Junkie XL Bio 2008

Take one part classical musician, one part producer, add one part programmer and throw in one part performer. Mix it all together, remix it again and you have Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL.

Born in The Netherlands, Tom discovered music by learning and playing most instruments, including guitar, bass, piano and drums. Although he was classically trained by his mother (herself an accredited violin teacher), it wasn’t long until he discovered synths and joined the Dutch New Wave group Weekend at Waikiki as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. 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, Tom built his music repertoire by freelance producing and quickly landed projects for bands such as Sepultra, Fear Factory and Dog Eat Dog, as well as for video games, movies and TV spots.

But Tom’s nature as a musician was calling, and in 1997 he released his first album as Junkie XL, entitled Saturday Teenage Kick. A fusion of breakbeat and rock, Junkie XL joined The Prodigy on tour and with hits such as "Billy Club" featuring Rude Boy, he quickly began building an underground following and loyal fanbase in the US and Europe.

Tom then followed up with his second Junkie XL album. Big Sounds of the Drags added a new electronic and psychedelic bent to his music, with his huge club track "Future in Computer Hell (part 2)" leading the way for the new genre of progressive dance music.

This direction added throbbing baselines and pulsing beats to an already unique sound, and further confirmed his underground status with industry peers like British DJ/artist Sasha. More fans followed from the nightclubs, elevating Junkie XL to the status of superstar DJ/producer, thrilling everyone with his live sets.

But it was Tom’s next production that brought Junkie XL onto mainstream radio and televisions around the world.

Tom was asked to remix Elvis’ "A Little Less Conversation," the first time anyone had been granted permission to remix any Elvis song. Originally introduced as the music for a Nike World Cup ad, the remix was so powerful and popular that it was released as a standalone single – Elvis vs. JXL.

The track hit number one in 24 countries, and Tom had officially crossed over, seeping into the general public’s consciousness.

Not one to rest on his laurels, all of Tom’s accomplishments paled next to his new ambitious goal – create a multimedia concept album based on a pirate radio station. His vision was to integrate the CD release with live shows, new videos and a feature-rich web site.

The pirate radio station required Tom to invite guest vocalists to sing and co-write on top of all-new tracks. Junkie XL’s reputation and respect in the industry was never more obvious than when Tom’s own musical heroes agreed to collaborate.

Chuck D (Public Enemy), Gary Numan, Terry Hall (Specials), Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), Robert Smith (The Cure), Solomon Burke, Saffron (Republica), Anouk, Infusion, Peter Tosh. All legends in their own right, and all part of the powerful 2002 RadioJXL release.

On June 2, 2003, RadioJXL – A Broadcast From The Computer Hell Cabin was released in stores across Europe and Japan the same time that RadioJXL.com launched with a streaming radio station, chat forums and an exclusive MP3 double album. The 7AM/7PM downloadable CDs were the perfect sister companion to the 3AM/3PM retail CDs. Both PM CDs are loungy and expressive like afternoon radio, while the AM CDs are more reminiscent of an early morning club vibe, with heavy beats and progressive rhythms.

Tom followed the album release with an exhausting RadioJXL tour schedule that covered five continents, and included the massive Pinkpop show in the Netherlands. On June 9 2003, Junkie XL’s 75-minute set included guest performances by Saffron and Solomon Burke. Backdropped by a huge screen broadcasting all-new Junkie XL videos, Junkie XL had over 60,000 fans dancing in unison.

By the end of 2003, it was time to take a short break from his studio. After living in Europe for all his life, Tom was looking forward to a different perspective and warmer weather. Next stop – California.

Tom moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and furthered his talents, scoring and composing for high profile film soundtracks, videogames and commercials. He also kept remixing and producing for A-list artists like Sarah McLachlan, Britney Spears and Depeche Mode.

As the future beckons, Tom is now working on his next album due out Fall 2005. He just completed the soundtrack to Forza, the highly anticipated Xbox racing game due out in May with James A. Rota (Fireball Ministry) and Logan Mader (formerly of Machinehead and Soulfly) as guest guitarists on his homage to dark rock. Tom will also make his first time appearance at Coachella on May 1.

This is, after all, Junkie XL – a fusion of artist, composer, producer, technician, performer. Defying categorization and comparison. One thing is for sure – this master alchemist is bound to impress.