Story
In the diverse world of pop music, there are singers, songwriters, producers – and the rare multi-talents who combine all three roles into one person, like Cimo Fränkel. With a decade of experience in the music business, he’s already written a score of hits, including the multi-Platinum ‘Sex’ by Cheat Codes & Kris Kross Amsterdam, Yellow Claw’s iconic smash ‘Shotgun’ as well as hits for Snoop Dogg, OMI, Hardwell, and Lucas & Steve’s 2019 airplay smash “Where Have You Gone”. Yet Cimo has also featured on records with internationally acclaimed artists including Armin van Buuren, Daddy’s Groove, Arty and TW3LVE, and in 2018 started releasing his solo material : ‘Occasional Love’, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘I’m Alright”, ‘Where Do You Hide Your Love’, “Gamble”, “Live Without You”, “Stay the Night” – all leading to the release of his self-eponymous debut album, CImo Fränkel – written, produced, and performed by himself.
Growing up in Amsterdam, Cimo’s father was a funk musician and raised him on a diet of impromptu studio visits and the DIY ethos of funk culture. Father Gerard also appears with a cameo-duet on the album’s opener – “Drifting” – which in essence becomes the symbolic passing of the torch. At the tender age of 15, Cimo started experimenting with music production, soon getting involved with like-minded characters from the local scene working intensively with other young, eager Dutch musicians.
After winning multiple local songwriter awards, Cimo started collaborating with a slew of artists from around the Globe. In 2016, Los Angeles rapidly becoming a familiar place to him, Cimo connected with Cheat Codes and Kris Kross Amsterdam and co-produced and co-wrote the global smash: ‘Sex’, gathering over 700 million streams. Meanwhile in 2017 he toured the world’s biggest arenas as a featured artist in Armin van Buuren’s Embrace tour.
Soon after, it was time start his own one-man show. After introducing the reggae tinged “Occasional Love”, he showcased his variety of tastes to the world with his subsequent single releases and videos throughout 2018 & 2019. All are produced and performed by Cimo himself and written together with longtime writing partner Rik Annema. Drawing from his experience working in different genres and taking cues from his greatest idol Michael Jackson, Cimo never restricted himself to a single sound. The only constants to his solo material: it’s poppy, catchy, moody and intimate.
Now, all the previous releases are bundled together along with new singles, “World Is Waking Up”, “Happier Before”, the aforementioned “Drifting” as well as the original acoustic version of his hauntingly beautiful song with Armin van Buuren – “All Comes Down”. Appropriately titled, “Cimo Fränkel”, the 14-track album showcases the best of a unique, International multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer, dancer & dreamer at the prime of his creative career.