Yanni, the world-renowned new age musician has ended his two-year musical hiatus with the release of Sensuous Chill. The composer, who has already sold over 25 million albums worldwide, says he has worked hard to make sure the new album matches his fans’ expectations.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in a video interview, he said: “The new album is called Sensuous Chill, and that’s what it is. It knows what it wants to be.”

“This album represents several years of collaboration with some of the brightest artists in the world. That is what brings the uniqueness, the beauty and the color on this album – I wanted to create a sensuous, melodious and sexy environment for the listener; and I wanted it to last a long time, the whole collection contains 17 songs, 10 of which have never been released before.”

Few new age musicians have achieved the lasting success that Yanni has. Born Yiannis Chryssomallis in Kalamata in 1954, he is one of those musicians who has made a big enough mark to go only by first name professionally.

After studying psychology, Yanni embarked on his musical career in the 1970s after realizing that he was happiest when he was making music. He went on to release several albums and gained critical acclaim in the US, but the international breakthrough he sought eluded him until his 1993 concert, Live at the Acropolis.

Yanni Performs Live at the Acropolis from James Alvin Sablan Sr. on Vimeo.

Set in Herodes Atticus theater, the lavish concert featured the entire 60-person ensemble of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plus Yanni’s own musicians. The maestro invested USD 2 million of his own money in the event, gambling on it introducing him to a larger audience.

The gamble paid off. Live at the Acropolis was broadcast in 65 countries and the resulting album sold over seven million copies worldwide. He went on to become one of the few Western artists permitted to perform at the Taj Mahal and China’s Forbidden City. He has played at a total of eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Pyramids of Giza, and composed Seven Billion Dreams for NASA’s 15 year anniversary of the International Space Station.

Sensuous Chill is his 18th studio album and is now on general release.