Optimystique

Optimystique is the debut studio album by Greek keyboardist, composer, and producer Yanni, released in 1980 independently. It was re-released in 1984 by Varèse Sarabande and in 1989 by Private Music.

Optimystique
1984 release front cover
Studio album by Yanni
Released	1984
Recorded	1980 Cookhouse Studios and Sound 80 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Genre	Instrumental pop rock
Length	38:41
Label	Independent (1980) Varèse Sarabande (1984) Private Music (1989)
Producer	Jerry Steckling Yanni
Yanni chronology
Optimystique (1984) Keys to Imagination (1986)
Alternative cover
1989 release front cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Liner notes

Optimystique was recorded in 1980 and released for the first time in 1984. I considered re-recording or reworking the material before re-releasing it again, but the album has a very special sound representative of a particular time early in my career which I wanted to preserve. For me, it is a piece of my history I remember fondly.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Sphynx"	4:13
2.	"Butterfly Dance"	6:26
3.	"Strings"	3:50
4.	"Twilight"	7:35
5.	"The Chase"	5:08
6.	"Farewell"	2:47
7.	"Turn of the Tide"	3:57
8.	"The Magus"	4:45

All tracks are written by Yanni.

Personnel

• All music composed and produced by Yanni
• Yanni – Synthesizers and Keyboards
• Ernest LaViolette – Drums and Percussion
• Tom Sterling – Bass guitar on "Twilight"
• Dugan McNeill – Bass guitar on "The Chase"
• Tony Matsis – Bouzouki on "Strings"
• Bruce Kurno – Harps

Production

• Produced by Jerry Steckling and Yanni
• Executive Producers: Mark MacPherson and Tom Paske
• Engineered by Jerry Steckling
• Assistant Engineer: Chopper Black
• Recorded at Cookhouse Studios and Sound 80, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Los Angeles