Varien
Nikki Kaelar, better known by her stage name Varien, is an American composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Varien has incorporated or experimented with styles of industrial, metal, orchestral, neofolk, and ambient music. She is known for her work on film soundtracks, along with her unconventional approach to electronic music, including many live instruments not normally found on tracks within her genres.
In 2019, EDM.com described her as "Trent Reznor dark lord of this generation in electronic music". In 2020, Varien came out as transgender.
Early life
Kaelar was born on May 15, 1990 in Tampa, Florida. She had a connection to music from a very young age, and her family supported her passion. At the age of 11, Varien began playing the guitar and attempting songwriting, and she joined a number of bands experimenting with genres of rock, grindcore, metalcore, and jazz. Kaelar developed perfect pitch when playing the keyboard at age fourteen.Kaelar was in multiple bands in high school, playing grindcore, metalcore, screamo, post-hardcore, and power metal before joining her school's Jazz band for two years. She cites these years as pivotal to her artistic development, learning sheet music, jazz theory and improvisation. She also cites this as the time she developed a profound interest in electronic, folk, and metal music.
She decided to focus on solo composition and began producing in 2009, with music in video games serving as her most longtime influence to date. She cites Shin Megami Tensei, Final Fantasy, and Metroid as her biggest influences when it comes to games, as well as the works of the Wachowskis.
Career
2010–13: Career beginnings
In August 2010, Kaelar achieved online virality with her slowed-down remix of Justin Bieber's "U Smile", titled "Justin Bieber 800% Slowed Down". She was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly and MTV about the track.In July 2011, Kaelar released her first Monstercat single "The Force" under the alias Halo Nova. She subsequently released two more singles under the alias before abandoning it and continuing to make music under the alias Varien. One of the first subsequent releases as Varien was a remix of Ephixa's song "Division".
On February 26, 2013, Kaelar released Pick Your Poison Vol. 1, a compilation album of trailer cues that she wrote for the purpose of film, television, and video game licensing. She released a followup, Pick Your Poison Vol. 2, a year later.
2014–16: ''The Ancient & Arcane'' and ''My Prayers Have Become Ghosts''
In 2014, Kaelar teamed up with Two Steps from Hell on a private trailer cue compilation entitled Open Conspiracy. 2014 saw an abundance of licenses for Varien. Her music was used in trailers and promotional media for ', Bones, ', Face Off, America's Next Top Model, PlanetSide 2, and . Los Angeles-based singer Roniit's song "Runaway", produced by Varien, was used in multiple trailers and TV spots for the film The Loft.On August 5, 2015, Kaelar released her first LP, titled The Ancient & Arcane, on Monstercat. Prior to this, she had released two tracks, "Beyond the Surface" and "Aether and Light". In an interview with UKF, she elaborated on her songwriting process for the album, saying: "I make so many other types of music so I thought I’d sit down and write – no theme, no story. It’s a very Zen experience. Very spiritual. Wake up. Do yoga. Make music. No regard for the club. No regard for where it will be played or comparisons to my past music or anything else that’s going on. I’ve never gone to any of these places I’m exploring right now. I want people to listen to it and think ‘is this Varien?’ Psychedelic, worldly, ethnic, trippy... People have never seen me go there. Yet."
The Ancient & Arcane met with critical acclaim upon release, with EDM website Dancing Astronaut calling it a "cinematic masterpiece", giving particular praise to "Ghost Spores" as "reinvigorat the soul with its harp-tinged melody and orchestral instruments that once again highlight Varien’s idiosyncratic musicianship."
Kaelar's next EP, My Prayers Have Become Ghosts, was released on October 31, 2016 via Monstercat.
2017–present: Hiatus and return
In 2017, Kaelar announced a hiatus from the Varien alias and removed all of her social media accounts. Across two interviews with EDMSauce, she cited the psychological impact of social media as her reason for going on a blackout, also saying she "needed a break from it.". In 2018, Kaelar announced via her YouTube channel that she would continue producing music under the Varien name, after her hiatus had allowed her to "take a deep breath from it all". As of 2018, Varien has released music on her own imprint, Kitsune Soundworks.In April 2018, Kaelar wrote, arranged, and produced K-Pop group VIXX's lead single for their album Eau de VIXX, "Scentist". The track went on to hit #1 on the Mnet charts and was licensed for Korean television shows like The Return of Superman.
On October 26, 2018, Varien released her next EP, Death Asked a Question, through Most Addictive Records. In an interview with EDM Joy, she described the EP as being the physical manifestation of her struggles during her hiatus, in contrast to the "fantastical" narrative of The Ancient & Arcane.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
As featured artist
Singles
As Varien
As Halo Nova
As Koinu
Film/TV/video games
Kaelar's music has appeared in the following works:| Year | Title |
| 2012 | Intervention |
| 2013 | ' |
| 2013 | Pain & Gain |
| 2013 | The Tomorrow People |
| 2013 | ' |
| 2013 | NASCAR Race Hub |
| 2013 | Runner Runner |
| 2014 | America's Next Top Model |
| 2014 | ' |
| 2014 | PlanetSide 2 |
| 2014 | ' |
| 2014 | Face Off |
| 2014 | M.A.V. |
| 2014 | |
| 2014 | Bones |
| 2014 | The Loft |
| 2015 | The Walking Dead |
| 2015 | Furious 7 |
| 2017 | Injustice 2 |
| 2017 | Doki Doki Literature Club |
| 2018 | America's Got Talent |
| 2018 | The Return of Superman |
| 2019 | Replicas |