Floppy Disks to Fantasy Worlds: A Chat with Composer Jolene Khor
Floppy disks, Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons and a sixty-piece orchestra. For Jolene Khor, they’re all part of her story.
We sat down with Jolene for a chat about where her music journey started and the unique influences behind her sound. We discussed her work across film, games and the immersive world she’s creating. This world is expanding with the release of her upcoming album, dropping this November.
For Jolene, scoring orchestral music for film and games wasn’t always the case. Her story started somewhere a little more nostalgic.
It all started with an electric piano
Growing up in Malaysia, Jolene’s major influence was Chinese pop. She began learning piano at age three.
“I started with an old electric piano and floppy disks before eventually getting my own MacBook and learning Logic Pro.”
Jolene initially thought she’d write pop songs, but she began rescoring projects at University, creating new music for existing film scenes somewhere along the way.
“I just wrote what I knew.”
That simple approach has continued to shape Jolene’s work: taking inspiration from the things she genuinely loves and letting those influences shape her music style. Jolene describes her sonic style as whimsical, orchestral and emotional.
Pokémon, Zelda and the soundtrack to a childhood
Anime, video games and fantasy have played a huge role in shaping her creative identity.
“Pokémon and Legend of Zelda were probably the biggest influences for me.“
Jolene grew up playing Final Fantasy and later discovered Dungeons & Dragons, which quickly became another major influence.
For Jolene, D&D is particularly exciting because of its freedom. Unlike a fixed story, the game can constantly change depending on the people playing it, which is incredibly immersive.
That love of games also influences the music she listens to today. Rather than sticking to one particular genre, Jolene describes her listening activity as a collection of whatever catches her attention, music from composers she has worked with (Mass Effect to Kingdom Come: Deliverance) and video game soundtracks.
Jolene also co-hosts a podcast called ‘Composers in a Jukebox’, giving her a platform to chat with fellow artists who score music for the stage and screen.
From short films to fantasy worlds
Jolene has already had her music featured in short independent films, including projects from university filmmakers in London and China. Much of this work has existed within the festival and screening circuit, but she’s keen to see where it could lead next.
Her ambitions are clear: animation, games and fantasy filmmaking are firmly on her dream-project list..
“If it’s a Dungeons & Dragons film, I would always love to score something like that.”
Jolene’s own fantasy world
Jolene’s work is already attracting well beyond the independent film and gaming communities.
In August, Music Week reported that Jolene had signed a music publishing agreement with Steam Music, an international music publishing, sync, promotion and consulting company. The partnership is set to support her continued development as a composer, with opportunities spanning games, media, sync and concert platforms.
For Jolene, the deal marks another step forward in building a career that sits comfortably between different worlds, from orchestral and concert music to games, film, TTRPGs and storytelling.
“I’m excited to create new music together, take on new opportunities, and continue growing as a composer.”
And with her new album dropping in November, there’s plenty more to come.
A New Chapter for Jolene
Jolene’s upcoming album isn’t just a collection of fantasy-inspired tracks. She’s created it as a story to be listened to in order.
With vocals featuring Jenny Plant, the album follows an adventurer who sets out into a world shaped by an ancient calamity. Across the tracks, we encounter a goddess, an emerging hero, opposing forces, battles and a much larger story unfolding around them.
“The album takes you on a journey”
The album begins slowly, introducing the world and its characters before gradually building towards something much bigger.
A soundtrack waiting for a story
One of the most exciting things about Jolene’s album is that she isn’t stopping at the music.
She’s planning to create a short piece of writing to accompany each track! She will be working closely with her partner (a violinist who also contributes to the recordings) to narrate the story.
Plus, she’s already imagining where the project could go after this.
“I hope one day we can make it into a comic, a film or animation.”
For now, though, the story lives in the music.
Jolene is taking all the things she’s loved for years: fantasy, games, anime, orchestral music, storytelling, and creating something of her very own.
What’s next for Jolene Khor?
Alongside the album, Jolene is writing for other projects, including work connected to games and books, while building relationships with more developers and creatives through game jams and industry events.
She’s also worked on the upcoming game The Wicked Isles, contributing music and sound design, and continues to explore the crossover between music, games and storytelling.
Jolene has recently composed the full soundtrack for Safe in Our World & Dice Rolls for Good’s DnD Charity Stream called The Frozen Oren. Available on Bandcamp and the Dice Rolls For Good Tiltify page. She has also written soundtracks for popular DnD.
In November, we will get to hear this story unfold.
This interview was created by Social Media Manager and Content Creator, Molly.
Molly helps creatives grow their online presence through bold, authentic storytelling that sparks real connections. Alongside content creation, she also writes features and blogs that spotlight the creative community.
For collaborations, features, or content support contact us today.
Floppy Disks to Fantasy Worlds: A Chat with Composer Jolene Khor
Floppy disks, Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons and a sixty-piece orchestra. For Jolene Khor, they’re all part of her story.
We sat down with Jolene for a chat about where her music journey started and the unique influences behind her sound. We discussed her work across film, games and the immersive world she’s creating. This world is expanding with the release of her upcoming album, dropping this November.
For Jolene, scoring orchestral music for film and games wasn’t always the case. Her story started somewhere a little more nostalgic.
It all started with an electric piano
Growing up in Malaysia, Jolene’s major influence was Chinese pop. She began learning piano at age three.
“I started with an old electric piano and floppy disks before eventually getting my own MacBook and learning Logic Pro.”
Jolene initially thought she’d write pop songs, but she began rescoring projects at University, creating new music for existing film scenes somewhere along the way.
“I just wrote what I knew.”
That simple approach has continued to shape Jolene’s work: taking inspiration from the things she genuinely loves and letting those influences shape her music style. Jolene describes her sonic style as whimsical, orchestral and emotional.
Pokémon, Zelda and the soundtrack to a childhood
Anime, video games and fantasy have played a huge role in shaping her creative identity.
“Pokémon and Legend of Zelda were probably the biggest influences for me.“
Jolene grew up playing Final Fantasy and later discovered Dungeons & Dragons, which quickly became another major influence.
For Jolene, D&D is particularly exciting because of its freedom. Unlike a fixed story, the game can constantly change depending on the people playing it, which is incredibly immersive.
That love of games also influences the music she listens to today. Rather than sticking to one particular genre, Jolene describes her listening activity as a collection of whatever catches her attention, music from composers she has worked with (Mass Effect to Kingdom Come: Deliverance) and video game soundtracks.
Jolene also co-hosts a podcast called ‘Composers in a Jukebox’, giving her a platform to chat with fellow artists who score music for the stage and screen.
From short films to fantasy worlds
Jolene has already had her music featured in short independent films, including projects from university filmmakers in London and China. Much of this work has existed within the festival and screening circuit, but she’s keen to see where it could lead next.
Her ambitions are clear: animation, games and fantasy filmmaking are firmly on her dream-project list..
“If it’s a Dungeons & Dragons film, I would always love to score something like that.”
Jolene’s own fantasy world
Jolene’s work is already attracting well beyond the independent film and gaming communities.
In August, Music Week reported that Jolene had signed a music publishing agreement with Steam Music, an international music publishing, sync, promotion and consulting company. The partnership is set to support her continued development as a composer, with opportunities spanning games, media, sync and concert platforms.
For Jolene, the deal marks another step forward in building a career that sits comfortably between different worlds, from orchestral and concert music to games, film, TTRPGs and storytelling.
“I’m excited to create new music together, take on new opportunities, and continue growing as a composer.”
And with her new album dropping in November, there’s plenty more to come.
A New Chapter for Jolene
Jolene’s upcoming album isn’t just a collection of fantasy-inspired tracks. She’s created it as a story to be listened to in order.
With vocals featuring Jenny Plant, the album follows an adventurer who sets out into a world shaped by an ancient calamity. Across the tracks, we encounter a goddess, an emerging hero, opposing forces, battles and a much larger story unfolding around them.
“The album takes you on a journey”
The album begins slowly, introducing the world and its characters before gradually building towards something much bigger.
A soundtrack waiting for a story
One of the most exciting things about Jolene’s album is that she isn’t stopping at the music.
She’s planning to create a short piece of writing to accompany each track! She will be working closely with her partner (a violinist who also contributes to the recordings) to narrate the story.
Plus, she’s already imagining where the project could go after this.
“I hope one day we can make it into a comic, a film or animation.”
For now, though, the story lives in the music.
Jolene is taking all the things she’s loved for years: fantasy, games, anime, orchestral music, storytelling, and creating something of her very own.
What’s next for Jolene Khor?
Alongside the album, Jolene is writing for other projects, including work connected to games and books, while building relationships with more developers and creatives through game jams and industry events.
She’s also worked on the upcoming game The Wicked Isles, contributing music and sound design, and continues to explore the crossover between music, games and storytelling.
Jolene has recently composed the full soundtrack for Safe in Our World & Dice Rolls for Good’s DnD Charity Stream called The Frozen Oren. Available on Bandcamp and the Dice Rolls For Good Tiltify page. She has also written soundtracks for popular DnD.
In November, we will get to hear this story unfold.
This interview was created by Social Media Manager and Content Creator, Molly.
Molly helps creatives grow their online presence through bold, authentic storytelling that sparks real connections. Alongside content creation, she also writes features and blogs that spotlight the creative community.
For collaborations, features, or content support contact us today.