‘Furiosa’ Composer Tom Holkenberg aka JunkieXL Teases Score with First Single, ‘Dementus Is Gaining’

We can already feel our theater seats shaking. This past Friday, “Furiosa” composer Tom Holkenberg (aka Junkie XL) dropped a taste of his upcoming score for the film with the single, “Dementus Is Gaining”. The propulsive electronica track features a familiar trance-like beat that incorporates the sound of revving engines, but also has a noticeably more haunting quality than that of the score for “Mad Max: Fury Road”, implying a prequel that may have more of an emotional bite than its predecessor.

“My collaboration with the incredible George Miller began over a decade ago with our work on ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ a project that marked a pivotal moment in my career as a film composer,” says Holkenberg. “Returning to this world to score the odyssey of ‘Furiosa,’ an epic tale of survival, resilience and revenge has been just as eye-opening and gratifying. ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is a testament to the vision of a singular film maker, whose pursuit of excellence always inspires me to push my creative limits.”

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Holkenberg is a Dutch composer, DJ, producer, and engineer who began his career selling keyboards and digital gear at a local music store, but made the transition into film scoring while working on Tony Scott’s “Domino” (2015). Since then, his scoring contributions have been a part of films that have cumulatively made over $2 billion at the box office, including “Deadpool”, “Godzilla x Kong”, and “Alita: Battle Angel”. He has worked with directors Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, Peter Jackson, Robert Rodriguez,  James Cameron, and many others.

Starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of Charlize Theron’s career-defining character from “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Furiosa” also features Chris Hemsworth as Dementus and will premiere out of competition at Cannes on May 15th, followed by a worldwide release on May 24th. Its official synopsis reads: “As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.”

Listen to the single here.

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