FORMAT: VINYL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
While Tom Holkenborg is now releasing music under his given name, as opposed to Junkie XL, the longtime electronic artist is still creating film scores which are as danceably listenable as they are energetically-suited to the visuals which they accompany. The Netflix series White Lines, created by Álex Pina, is set on the Spanish island of Ibiza, well-known for its longtime DJ and dance scene in the summer, so who better to score it than a musician who actually performed there, himself?
To create a score which would fit in within the era in which much of the series is set, Holkenborg utilised late-’90s vintage equipment to make the sound of the show fit with the visuals onscreen. The end result is a score which plays out like a DJ mix Holkenborg himself might once have appeared on.
With a range of styles from downtempo to lounge to full-on club bangers, Holkenborg charts the various parts of Ibiza and the way certain music can be used to create a mood within a particular space. DJing and scoring a film are not unalike in that regard, when one really thinks about it. Hearing Holkenborg go back to the music he was making two decades ago, but with the benefit of 20 years’ experience, is a very exciting treat.
The downtempo cuts, like Ibiza Bar, will bring to mind sitting in a lounge somewhere, imbibing overpriced and incredibly strong mixed drinks while listening to Portishead, whereas In the Club and Infinity are justifiable bangers, suitable for glow sticks and dancing until the sweat drips down one’s brow. Manchester Life, with its acoustic guitars and drums, sounds like an Oasis instrumental demo, fitting nicely into the era, while also providing a bit of a switch from the electronic sounds.
White Lines’ double LP is pressed on clear 180-gram with Mediteranean Blue swirl, and it looks like the crisp waters in which one might swim. The glossy gatefold sleeve and insert feature stills from the film, although there’s not much in the way of other supplemental material. Sadly, due to the fact Pina’s series was canceled, this will likely be a one-off in terms of getting to hear Holkenborg do this kind of music, which is a shame, but this collection will delight fans enough to spin it over and over again.
