Nick Kaelar, born May 15, 1990 in Tampa, Florida, is an American composer and producer known by his stage name Varien. He began playing guitar at age 11 and started producing music in 2009, influenced by video game soundtracks. His breakthrough came in August 2010 with the viral remix "Justin Bieber 800% Slowed Down" of Justin Bieber's "U Smile". Under his alias Halo Nova, he released his first single "The Force" on Monstercat in July 2011. In February 2013, Kaelar released Pick Your Poison Vol. 1, a compilation album of trailer cues for film, television, and video game licensing. Varien's music has been featured in trailers for films such as 300: Rise of an Empire.
