Junkie XL

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• Genre: Big Beat
• Junkie XL Website

About

Starting out in the tradition of the Prodigy, Amsterdam-based rock/electronic hybrid Junkie XL (aka Tom Holkenborg) attacked your eardrums with a crackling, complex mix of hip-hop approved breaks, carelessly edgy vocals and blood-curdling guitar riffs. Carefully produced, dense tracks included both live instrumentation and electronic manipulation to draw a fanbase of headbangers and club-goers. That fanbase got even larger in 2002, when his remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" hit a Nike World Cup commercial -- and the charts in 24 countries. Around the same time, his friendship with trance master Sasha led Holkenborg to develop a more progressive house sound. With his newfound clout and direction, Holkenborg recruited a host of superstars to contribute to 2004's concept album Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin.

- Melissa Piazza