David Holmes (born 25 February 1969) is a Northern Irish musician and composer. He worked as a DJ before releasing several solo albums that have incorporated elements of

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...

big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

and rock. In the late 1990s, he also began composing film scores, establishing a long-standing collaboration with director

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...

that includes ''

Out of Sight ''Out of Sight'' is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel of the same name. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor Georg ...

'' (1998) and the ''Ocean's'' trilogy. Holmes is currently a member of the band Unloved, whose music has been used extensively in the television series ''

Killing Eve ''Killing Eve'' is a British spy thriller television series, produced in the United Kingdom by Sid Gentle Films for BBC America and BBC Three. The series follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence investigator tasked with capturi ...

'', for which Holmes is also a composer. He has remixed songs for numerous artists and produced albums for

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

Career

Holmes began DJing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

was the 1992 track "De Niro" as the Disco Evangelists, with

Ashley Beedle Ashley Beedle (born November 25, 1962, in Hemel Hempstead, England) is a British house music DJ and producer. He was a member of the groups Black Science Orchestra and X-Press 2 in addition to releasing material under his own name. Career Bee ...

and Lindsay Edwards (who later joined

Tin Tin Out Tin Tin Out were an English electronic dance music duo, comprising Darren Stokes and Lindsay Edwards. They remixed songs for a variety of artists such as Duran Duran, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, The Corrs and Des'ree, as well as collaborating with ...

). In the early to mid-1990s, he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain. Orbital wrote the track "Belfast", released on their debut album '' Orbital'', after playing at Sugar Sweet. Holmes released ''

This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats ''This Film's Crap Let's Slash the Seats'' is the debut album by David Holmes, originally released in 1995. It was reissued in the US with a bonus CD of remixes and B-sides in 1998. "No Man's Land", "Minus 61 in Detroit" and "Gone" were released ...

'', in July 1995. At the time he described the album as being inspired by movies and movie soundtracks, a recurring theme throughout Holmes' work (see

Discography Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...

). The opening track, "No Man's Land", featured on the soundtrack to the film, '' Pi''. In the same year, he also provided the ambient links between the songs on the album ''

Infernal Love ''Infernal Love'' is the third major label album by the rock band Therapy? It was released on 12 June 1995 on A&M Records. The album was recorded at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire from January to March 1995. Background The album was a ...

'' by

Therapy? Therapy? are a Northern Irish rock band from Larne, formed in 1989 by guitarist-vocalist Andy Cairns and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing. Therapy? recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band r ...

. In 1997, Holmes released ''

Let's Get Killed ''Let's Get Killed'' is the second studio album by Belfast electronica DJ and producer David Holmes. It was released in the UK on 8 September 1997 through Go! Beat Records and contained two UK Top 40 singles: "Don't Die Just Yet" and "My Mat ...

''. Many of the tracks featured Brazilians dancing in the streets of New York City, recorded by Holmes using a

minidisc MiniDisc (MD) is an erasable magneto-optical disc-based data storage format offering a capacity of 60, 74, and later, 80 minutes of digitized audio. Sony announced the MiniDisc in September 1992 and released it in November of that year fo ...

recorder. The album's first single, "My Mate Paul," was Holmes' first commercial success. His 1997 Essential Mix, a mixture of northern soul, psychedelic funk and hip hop was voted mix of the year by ''

Muzik ''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003. ''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...

'' magazine. In 1998,

Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...

commissioned him to do the score for

's film ''

''. He scored a second film for Soderbergh in 2001, including some songs from ''Let's Get Killed'' and ''Bow Down to the Exit Sign'' on the ''

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The ...

'' remake. After releasing a

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

album, ''Come Get It I Got It'', in 2002, Holmes released ''David Holmes Presents The Free Association''. This was a departure for the artist as all his previous work had been solo. The Free Association featured four other bandmates who toured with Holmes after the album was launched. As a remixer he has reworked tracks by artists such as U2,

Doves Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...

Page and Plant Page and Plant (also known as Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) was an English rock band active between 1994 and 1998. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant (both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin), accompanied ...

, Saint Etienne and

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

. In 2008, Holmes composed the music for the "New iPhone" ad campaign. An album, ''The Holy Pictures'', was released on 8 September 2008,"David Holmes returns with 'Holy' new album"
NME.com, 20 June 2008. from which the track "Holy Pictures" was selected for the soundtrack of ''

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2010'' (officially abbreviated as ''PES 2010'' and known in Asia as ''World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2010'') is the ninth football video game in the ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' series. The game was developed and published by K ...

''. The first track from this album, "I Heard Wonders", also featured in the movie '' Cherrybomb'' and the

Opening Ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

to accompany the footage of David Beckham and Jade Bailey bringing the olympic flame up the River Thames by speedboat. He worked with

Leo Abrahams Leo Matthew Abrahams (born 1977 in Camden, London) is an English musician, composer and producer. He has collaborated with a multitude of professional musicians, including Brian Eno, Katie Melua, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, Regina ...

to create the score for the award-winning film ''

Hunger In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In the ...

'', directed by

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

, about the

1981 Irish Hunger Strike The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republicanism, Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government ...

. The score won an IFTA at the Irish Film Awards. In April 2009, he topped ''The Irish Times'' "50 Best Irish Acts Right Now". His film project ''Good Vibrations'', was the first feature film from David's film company Canderblicks Film. Set in the heart of the punk rock scene of 1970s Belfast, it tells the story of

Terri Hooley Terence Wilfred "Terri" Hooley (born 23 December 1948) is a prominent figure in the Belfast punk scene and founder of the Good Vibrations record shop and label, responsible for bands such as The Undertones, Rudi, Protex and The Outcasts making ...

. Directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa, written by Glen Patterson and Colin Carbury and co-produced by Andrew Eaton (Revolution Films) & BBC Films, it was nominated for a BAFTA and the soundtrack was Rough Trade's Compilation of the year 2013. Holmes scored all three series of ''The Fall'' starring

Gillian Anderson Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series ''The X-Files'', ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film ''The House of Mirth'' ...

and

Jamie Dornan James Peter Maxwell Dornan (; born 1 May 1982) is an actor, model and musician from Northern Ireland. Formerly a character actor, he often portrays solemn, steady characters. The recipient of two Irish Film and Television Awards, he has been n ...

. His score for the first series was nominated for an RTS Craft and Design Award in 2013 and winner of the best score at the Irish Film and TV Awards in 2014. He scored the film'' '71'', for which he won an

Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

. Directed by

Yann Demange Yann Demange (born 1977) is a French film director of French and Algerian parents, who grew up in London. After directing the well-received television series ''Dead Set'' (2008) and ''Top Boy'' (2011), he made his directorial film debut with the cr ...

, the film tells the story of a British Soldier who became separated from his unit during a riot in Belfast at the height of

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

in 1971. In May 2015, Holmes' first film which he directed and wrote ''I Am Here'' was shown on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

's ''The Shooting Gallery. Holmes produced the third album by

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of former Oasis songwriter, lead guitarist, and backing vocalist Noel Gallagher. The touring band consists of former Oasis members Gem Archer (guit ...

. Recorded and mixed in Belfast, the album ''

Who Built the Moon? ''Who Built the Moon?'' is the third studio album by English rock band Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Produced by David Holmes, it was released on 24 November 2017, through Gallagher's label Sour Mash Records. Four singles were released fr ...

'' was released on 24 November 2017. In 2019, he and American musician, composer and music producer

Keith Ciancia Keith Ciancia, better known as Keefus Green or Keefus Ciancia is an American musician, composer and music producer. He has won an Ivor Novello Award and been nominated for an Emmy. Along with his long time creative collaborator, T Bone Burnett, h ...

won the Original Music category at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards for their work on the ''

'' soundtrack.Meredith, Robbie
''Killing Eve composer David Holmes wins Bafta TV Craft Award''
''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

'', April 29, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (1995) – – UK No. 51 *''

'' (1997) – UK No. 34 *'' Bow Down to the Exit Sign'' (2000) – UK No. 22 *''David Holmes presents The Free Association'' (2002) – UK No. 78 *'' The Holy Pictures'' (2008) – UK No. 65

Compilations and remixes

The Sabres Of Paradise – Smokebelch II (David Holmes remix) 1993 *''

Essential Mix The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music produce ...

'' (1998) – previously broadcast on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

*''Stop Arresting Artists'' (1998) – remix album *''Holmes on the Decks'' (2000) – remix album; a limited edition un-mixed vinyl version was also released *''Come Get It I Got It'' (2002) – remix album *''The Dogs Are Parading'' (2010) – compilation album *'' Late Night Tales: David Holmes'' (2016) - compilation album

Film soundtracks

*''Resurrection Man'' (1998) *''

'' (1998) *''Three Chords and a Wardrobe'' (1998, short film) *''

Buffalo Soldiers Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...

'' (2001) *''

Analyze That ''Analyze That'' is a 2002 American mafia comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and produced by Paula Weinstein and Jane Rosenthal. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film '' Analyze This''. The film starred Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal who ...

'' (2002) *''

Code 46 ''Code 46'' is a 2003 British film directed by Michael Winterbottom, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, and starring Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton. Produced by BBC Films and Revolution Films, the film is a dystopian sci-fi love story, explor ...

'' (2003) *'' Stander'' (2003) *''

Ocean's Twelve ''Ocean's Twelve'' is a 2004 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by George Nolfi. The second installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy franchise and the sequel to ''Ocean's Eleven'' (2001), the film features a ...

'' (2004) *'' The War Within'' (2005) *''The 18th Electricity Plan'' (2006, short film) *''

Ocean's Thirteen ''Ocean's Thirteen'' (stylized as ''Ocean's 13'') is a 2007 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. It is the final installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy and the sequel ...

'' (2007) *''

'' (2008) *''

The Girlfriend Experience ''The Girlfriend Experience'' is a 2009 American slice of life drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring then-pornographic actress Sasha Grey. It was shot in New York City, and a rough cut was screened at the Sundance Film Festiva ...

'' (2009) * '' Cherrybomb'' (2009) *''

Perrier's Bounty ''Perrier's Bounty'' is a 2009 Irish black comedy crime film set in modern-day Dublin. Described as an "urban western" by its director Ian Fitzgibbon, it stars Brendan Gleeson as the villainous title character, as well as Cillian Murphy and Ji ...

'' (2009) *''

Five Minutes of Heaven ''Five Minutes of Heaven'' is a 2009 Irish film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a script by Guy Hibbert. The film was premiered on 19 January 2009 at the 25th Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award for ...

'' (2009) *''

The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...

'' (2010) *''Kray'' (2010) *'' The Shore'' (2011, short film) (with

Foy Vance Foy Vance (born 1974) is a musician and singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland signed to Ed Sheeran's Gingerbread Man label. Vance has toured as a support act to British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and his music has been featured on numerous ...

) *'' Haywire'' (2012) *''

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record ...

'' (2012) *''

The Motel Life ''The Motel Life'' (2006) is the debut novel by musician and writer Willy Vlautin. It tells the story of two brothers from Reno, Nevada, whose lives are thrown into turmoil following a tragic accident. It was made into a movie starring Emile H ...

'' (2012) *'' Diana'' (2013) *''Light of My Eyes'' (2014, short film) *'' '71'' (2014) *'' 13 Minutes'' (2015) *''I Am Here'' (2015) *''

I Am Belfast ''I Am Belfast'' is a 2015 documentary film about Belfast, directed by Mark Cousins. Reception The film holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The ...

'' (2015) *'' Mindhorn'' (2016) *''

Logan Lucky ''Logan Lucky'' is a 2017 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on a screenplay credited to Rebecca Blunt. Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct the film and distributed it independently through his own company, ...

'' (2017) *'' The Laundromat'' (2019) *'' Ordinary Love'' (2019) *''Lyra'' (2022)

Television soundtracks

*''

Dara Ó Briain's Science Club ''Dara Ó Briain's Science Club'' is a British science television series presented by Dara Ó Briain which first aired on BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It cove ...

'' (2012, theme music) *'' The Fall'' (2013, theme music) *''

London Spy ''London Spy'' is a British-American five-part drama television serial created and written by Tom Rob Smith that aired on BBC Two from 9 November until 7 December 2015. It was aired on Netflix in 2018. Plot ''London Spy'' begins as the story ...

'' (2015) *'' Death and Nightingales'' (2018) *''

Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

'' (2018) *''

'' (2018–2019)

References

External links

David Holmes
– official website (at the Wayback Machine)
Gritty Shaker
– fan site (at the Wayback Machine) * * *
David Holmes
at

Last.fm Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Using a music recommender system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of the tracks the user listens to, e ...

Profile on BBC website

Album Review of 'The Holy Pictures (2008)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, David 1969 births Living people 20th-century musicians from Northern Ireland 21st-century musicians from Northern Ireland Alumni of Ulster University British male film score composers Film score composers from Northern Ireland Club DJs DJs from Belfast Electronic musicians from Northern Ireland Musicians from Belfast Remixers Go! Beat artists