Nikki Kaelar, known under Varien (formerly Halo Nova), is an American composer and electronic music producer. She made her debut on Monstercat under her former alias Halo Nova in 2011 with her track The Force.
Her DAW of choice is FL Studio and she's listed as one of FL-Studio's power users by Image-Line, the company behind FL.[1]
She once retired the Varien alias and has deleted all of her social media. In early January 2018, she took up the alias once again and explained that the reason why she retired the alias in the first place was to finally get a break from music. When her alias returned the first song she published was Blood Hunter.
As of 2018, she started producing again but now under her own imprint, Kitsune Soundworks. This could mean that Varien is now independent, producing such songs as Claws, Digital Devil, and, Wrath of God (With Teri Miko and Flowsik).
Timeline
2011
July
- July 5, 2011: Varien released her first song on Monstercat under the Halo Nova alias, and the second song ever released on Monstercat, The Force. The song was featured on Monstercat 001 - Launch Week.
- July 20, 2011: Varien released her second Monstercat song as Halo Nova, Triceracops, which was featured on Monstercat 002 - Early Stage.
August
- August 30, 2011: Varien released her third and final song on Monstercat as Halo Nova, Totally Radical. The song was featured on Monstercat 002 - Early Stage along with Triceracops.
October
- October 31, 2011: Varien released her first song on Monstercat as Varien, Cloak and Dagger. The song was featured on Monstercat 003 - Momentum.
December
- December 23, 2011: Varien released her second song on Monstercat under the alias, Throne of Ravens. The song was featured on Monstercat 005 - Evolution, and on the Monstercat Christmas Album 2011.
2012
February
- February 3, 2012: Varien released her debut Monstercat single, Mirrors, which was the second cataloged single on Monstercat. The song was featured on Monstercat 005 - Evolution along with Throne of Ravens.
March
- March 16, 2012: Varien released her first free release on Monstercat, The Alchemist's Nightmare. The song was featured on Monstercat 006 - Embrace.
June
- June 1, 2012: Varien released her second Monstercat single, Seduction, which was featured on Monstercat 007 - Solace.
August
- August 25, 2012: In collaboration with Project 46 and Ephixa, Varien released her second free release on Monstercat, The Anthem. The song was featured on Monstercat 009 - Reunion.
- August 31, 2012: Varien released her third single on Monstercat, Resurrection of the Dagger, which was featured on Monstercat 009 - Reunion along with The Anthem.
November
- November 9, 2012: Varien released her fourth Monstercat single, Morphine, which was featured on Monstercat 011 - Revolution.
December
- December 24, 2012: Varien released her fifth single on Monstercat, Lilith, which was featured on Monstercat 012 - Aftermath.
2013
January
- January 16, 2013: Varien released her sixth Monstercat single, Nights In Bangalore Pt.2, which was featured on Monstercat 012 - Aftermath along with Lilith.
April
- April 12, 2013: Varien released her third free release on Monstercat, L'esprit Noir (The Spirit of Darkness) (feat. CoMa). The song was CoMa's fifth Monstercat appearance.
May
- May 15, 2013: In collaboration with Razihel, Varien released her seventh single on Monstercat, Toothless Hawkins (And His Robot Jazz Band). The song, which was Razihel's debut Monstercat single, was featured on Monstercat 013 - Awakening.
December
- December 16, 2013: Varien prduced an orchestral suite of Monstercat releases, titled Melodies of Memories Past (Monstercat 2013 Orchestral Suite), for Monstercat's Best of 2013 compilation.
- December 27, 2013: Varien released her eighth Monstercat single, The Scarlet Dawn, which was featured on Monstercat 016 - Expedition.
2014
May
- May 16, 2014: In collaboration with SirensCeol, Varien released her ninth single on Monstercat, Moonlight (feat. Aloma Steele). The song, which was SirensCeol's only single on Monstercat, and Steele's first Monstercat appearance, was featured on Monstercat 017 - Ascension.
June
- June 23, 2014: Varien released the first song in the Valkyrie trilogy, Valkyrie I: Bloodshed (feat. Laura Brehm), more commonly referred to as "Valkyrie". The song, which was Brehm's sixth appearance on Monstercat, and Varien's tenth single on the label, was featured on Monstercat 018 - Frontier.
July
- July 21, 2014: Varien released her eleventh Monstercat single, Gunmetal Black, which was featured on Monstercat 018 - Frontier along with Valkyrie.
September
- September 1, 2014: In collaboration with 7 Minutes Dead, Varien released her debut EP on Monstercat, Mirai Sekai EP. The EP was 7 Minutes Dead's third EP on the label. While the EP was divied into four tracks, it is considered to be one four-part piece, and as such was uploaded by Monstercat in its entirety.
- Neo-Seoul (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- Neo-Tokyo (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- Aeon Metropolis (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- Goodnight Sequence (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- Mirai Sekai (Continuous Mix) (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- Aeon Metropolis was featured on Monstercat 019 - Endeavour.
October
- October 3, 2014: Varien released her twelfth single on Monstercat, and second part of their Valkyrie trilogy, Valkyrie II: Lacuna (feat. Cassandra Kay). The song, which was Kay's third and final Monstercat appearance, was featured on Monstercat 019 - Endeavour along with Aeon Metropolis.
December
- December 19, 2014: Varien released her thirteenth Monstercat single, Whispers in the Mist (feat. Aloma Steele). The song, which was Steele's second Monstercat appearance, and had an uncredited appearance from Laura Brehm playing the guitar, was featured on Monstercat 020 - Altitude.
2015
May
- May 15, 2015: Varien released her fourteenth single on Monstercat, Aether and Light, which was featured on Monstercat 022 - Contact.
July
- July 22, 2015: Varien released the song Supercell (feat. Veela) as a promo single for their The Ancient & Arcane LP. The song, which was Veela's fifth appearance on Monstercat, was featured on Monstercat 023 - Voyage as well as Varien's debut LP.
August
- August 5, 2015: Varien released her debut LP on Monstercat, The Ancient & Arcane.
- The Ancient & Arcane
- Snowlight
- Supercell (feat. Veela)
- Transmissions from Lemuria
- Hypnotique (feat. Charlotte Haining)
- Firefly
- Kamisama (feat. Miyoki)
- Ghost Spores (feat. Laura Brehm)
- Hypnotique was featured on Monstercat 023 - Voyage along with Supercell. Kamisama was Miyoki's second Monstercat appearance, and Hypnotique was Charlotte Haining's seventh.
October
- October 16, 2015: Varien released her fifteenth Monstercat single, and conclusion of their Valkyrie trilogy, Valkyrie III: Atonement (feat. Laura Brehm). The song was featured on Monstercat 024 - Vanguard.
November
- November 20, 2015: In collaboration with Mr FijiWiji, Varien released her sixteenth single on Monstercat, We Are the Lights. The song, which featured uncredited vocals from Anna Yvette, was featured on Monstercat 025 - Threshold.
2016
May
- May 4, 2016: Varien released her seventeenth Monstercat single, Sacred Woods (feat. Skyelle). The song, which was Skyelle's second Monstercat appearance, was featured on Monstercat 027 - Cataclysm.
October
- October 11, 2016: Varien released the song My Prayers Have Become Ghosts as a promo single for her My Prayers Have Become Ghosts EP.
- October 31, 2016: Varien released her second EP on Monstercat, and first solo EP, My Prayers Have Become Ghosts EP.
- Lest We Resign to Oblivion
- Dawn Will Bring Us Death
- TEVA833
- My Prayers Have Become Ghosts
- The Pink Killing Floor
- Hear, Smith of Heavens
- The Pink Killing Floor (Radio Edit)
- TEVA833 was featured on Monstercat 029 - Havoc. The EP was Varien's last Monstercat appearance.
Monstercat uploads
- The Force (as Halo Nova)
- July 5, 2011
- Triceracops (as Halo Nova)
- July 20, 2011
- Totally Radical (as Halo Nova)
- August 30, 2011
- Cloak and Dagger
- October 31, 2011
- Throne of Ravens
- December 23, 2011
- Mirrors
- February 3, 2012
- The Alchemist's Nightmare
- March 16, 2012
- Seduction
- June 1, 2012
- The Anthem (with Project 46 & Ephixa) (Music Video)
- August 25, 2012
- Resurrection of the Dagger
- August 31, 2012
- Morphine
- November 9, 2012
- Lilith
- December 24, 2012
- Nights In Bangalore Pt.2
- January 16, 2013
- L'esprit Noir (The Spirit of Darkness) (feat. CoMa)
- April 12, 2013
- Toothless Hawkins (And His Robot Jazz Band) (with Razihel)
- May 15, 2013
- Melodies of Memories Past (Monstercat 2013 Orchestral Suite)
- December 16, 2013
- The Scarlet Dawn
- December 27, 2013
- Moonlight (with SirensCeol, feat. Aloma Steele)
- May 16, 2014
- Valkyrie I: Bloodshed (feat. Laura Brehm)
- June 23, 2014
- Gunmetal Black
- July 21, 2014
- Mirai Sekai (with 7 Minutes Dead)
- September 1, 2014
- Valkyrie II: Lacuna (feat. Cassandra Kay)
- October 3, 2014
- Whispers in the Mist (feat. Aloma Steele)
- December 19, 2014
- Aether and Light
- May 15, 2015
- Supercell (feat. Veela) (Music Video)
- July 22, 2015
- Hypnotique (feat. Charlotte Haining)
- August 5, 2015
- Valkyrie III: Atonement (feat. Laura Brehm)
- October 16, 2015
- We Are the Lights (with Mr FijiWiji)
- November 20, 2015
- Sacred Woods (feat. Skyelle)
- May 4, 2016
- My Prayers Have Become Ghosts
- October 11, 2016
- TEVA833
- October 31, 2016
References
Trivia
- After she deleted her old twitter account, another person took the handle for themselves. Because of this, when Varien returned, he had to make a new Twitter account.
- Varien also has another side project called Koinu.
- Varien released a track for the Doki Doki Literature Club OST under the name Nick Kaelar.
- Varien released an album under the name Nick Kaelar called Into the Oblivion.
- Varien has made music for various TV shows and video games.
Collaborated with
- 7 Minutes Dead (5)
- Ephixa (1)
- Mr FijiWiji (1)
- Project 46 (1)
- Razihel (1)
- SirensCeol (1)
Artists featured
- Laura Brehm (3)
- Aloma Steele (2)
- Cassandra Kay (1)
- Charlotte Haining (1)
- CoMa (1)
- Miyoki (1)
- Skyelle (1)
- Veela (1)
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