Dutch-born Tom Holkenborg (a.k.a. Junkie XL) is that rare artist who fills out the otherwise ridiculous and usually lazily applied “Renaissance Man” mantle. He’s a Grammy-nominated multi-platinum producer and classically-trained musician, who can play a number of instruments, and even makes his own, and perhaps most intriguingly and successfully, a composer who has scored some of the most commercial hit movies of the last several years, ranging from Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, and Black Mass to 2021’s Justice League: The Snyder Cut, Godzilla vs. Kong, The Army of the Dead.

Not a man to rest on his laurels, he also composed music for the upcoming The 355 and 3000 Years of Longing.

And he’s taken his fans to school — literally. He created the SCORE Academy in Los Angeles, which is free to students, and created a composing program at the ArtEZ conservatorium in Holland. Plus, for those who want some of his musical wisdom and inspiration but don’t live in either California or Western Europe, he hosts the instructional StudioTime on YouTube. And today he’s also unveiled a new percussion library through a partnership with Orchestral Tools”. It’s not every day that someone at the top of their game is willing to share their secrets, but that’s just who Tom is.

This is a day in the life of down-to-earth, modern-day maestro Tom Holkenborg.

 

 

Date May 12, 2021

Time I woke up at 2:30 a.m., began filming at 4:45 a.m.

Every day starts with Making an espresso!

Breakfast consists of Two cups of coffee, various kinds of fruits, and on this particular day, eggs, which is usually only once per week.

To get going I always Need to make sure I’ve prepared the night before exactly what I’m going to work on today. That focus is the best elixir in the morning, better than anything.

I don’t feel dressed without My hoodie.

Before I start working I must Make sure I found my hoodie.

Currently working on Never allowed to say… BUT, I’m building various guitar amplifiers and effects.

But I’d really love to be A barista!

Book I’m reading Comparison Tables for Capacitors ?

I don’t know how anyone ever Loses their curiosity at any age!

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be Bossa Nova Essentials.

The perfect midday consists of Continuing the things I started in the morning!

To help get through the day I need Five to six small portions of the day that are healthy and spaced roughly two hours apart with a lot of water… no caffeine after 10 a.m.

Not a day goes by without speaking to My girlfriend and my best friends in Holland.

My daydreams consist of Making sure I don’t daydream, otherwise I’ll get fired!

In a perfect day, in a perfect world I would be able to enjoy life as we knew it before COVID… and the whole world with me.

I’ll always fight for More high-quality information online for aspiring young composers.

Currently in love with My new anniversary Fender guitar!

Hoping to make time to watch An amazing movie from the late ’90s called Dark City that few people have heard about but was really fantastic!

By my bedside I always have A book that is called The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching [by Thich Nhat Hanh].

To help get through the night I Need an hour of no screen time, but Giro D’Italia is really great. Otherwise, no screens!

Bedtime Depends, but right now it’s 8 a.m. I’ll likely lay down around 9:30/10 and fall asleep around 11.

When I think about tomorrow, it’s always Being happy that there potentially is a tomorrow! And that I’m so thankful to be living this great life with great people and great projects… and that this is even my job. The answers to the questions of the day will reveal itself.