Varien concocts haunting video game medley, featuring themes from Pokémon, Super Mario, and more

The chill of Halloween is in the air, and Varien‘s here to send even more shivers down listeners’ spines.

Just days after the release of his new EP, Death Asked A Question, the producer/composer has delivered something entirely different: a video game Halloween medley. The eight-minute orchestral suite is packed with nostalgia, mixing in themes from popular ’90s video games. It kicks off with the Lavender Town theme from Pokémon before leading the listener into Super Mario’s “Beware of the Forest Mushrooms.” Gliding hauntingly through each piece of work, he takes the latter half of his composition to pay homage to Banjo Kazooie with “Gruntilda’s Lair” and “Mad Monster Mansion.” Paired with gameplay visuals to accompany the music, Varien succeeds in both evoking fond memories of the past and crafting a gorgeous orchestral piece.

While the producer has made a name for himself through his dark, shadowy electronic compositions like My Prayers Have Become Ghosts, his work over the years has largely been influenced by video games music like these.

Categories: Music