INTERVIEW: Junkie XL (2013)

Dutch producer Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, unleashed his first album in four years, Synthesized, recently.? A mashup of genres, styles, and production techniques, the album is actually meant to be listened to all the way through rather than as a series of singles -? a seemingly unique concept in the current hit single-focused world of EDM.? During the Amsterdam Dance Event, he premiered a lot of the songs during a sold out live performance at the Royal Concert Hall.? I interviewed him the next day about the album and his journey into movie soundtracking.

RS: I listened to the album and I love it. I like that the beginning part is like a mixtape that starts out slow and then builds up, was that what you were going for?
Junkie XL: Regarding the structure, I was going for an album that you could listen to as a whole. I know that the concept of an album is not commercial anymore and that people rarely listen to them, but I think that as an art form it?s not old and still valid.

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SONG OF THE DAY: Armin van Buuren ft Fiora – “Waiting For the Night”

Following in the footsteps of fellow Dutchman Junkie XL, ?Armin van Buuren is adding film scores to his c.v.? For the upcoming Dutch movie “Verliefd op Ibiza” (translated as In Love With Ibiza), Armin scored a third of the movie and produced the single “Waiting for the Night.”? A pretty and energetic trance pop song with catchy vocals, “Waiting for the Night” is cool enough for clubs and commercial enough for radio without going into cheese pop land.? DJs wanting a more aggressive mix can reach for Clinton VanSciver’s electrodisco take or Beat Service’s progressive rethink.? The video is the typical cliche soundtrack formula, film scenes interspersed with singer Fiora – who looks as beautiful as she sounds – performing with scenes from the film projected onto her.? The film looks fun and for someone who will probably never make it to Ibiza, I definitely hope that an English-subtitled version of the film finds it way for rental on Netflix quite soon.

Image courtesy of Armada.