Junkie XL

by Jason Ankeny
The big-beat electronica project Junkie XL was largely the work of Amsterdam-based remixer Tom Holkenborg, previously known for his work with acts like Nerve and Fear Factory. Beginning his career at the age of 14, Holkenborg initially played in area funk and reggae units, later switching to alternative rock; while working in a music store, he first began experimenting with synthesizers and technology, and in 1996 won the Grand Prix of the Netherlands as best house music producer. After completing Junkie XLs 1997 debut LP Saturday Teenage Kick, a blend of electronica and rock, he enlisted rapper Rude Boy (an alumnus of Urban Dance Squad), DJ Frankie D, drummer Baz Mattie, and guitarist Renee van der Zee to transform his one-man studio project into a working band. Big Sound of the Drags, released in 1999, was the first record from the lineup. More than two years later, Holkenborg masterminded the first (legal) remix of an Elvis Presley song, A Little Less Conversation (as heard in a Nike commercial to coincide with the 2002 World Cup). Released as a single, it hit number one in Britain by June.