Fresh off his Grammy win for best remixed recording, Imanbek has signed with ICM Partners and Primary Talent International for worldwide representation.
The 20-year-old Kazakh producer born Imanbek Zeikenov will be represented at ICM Partners by the agency’s head of electronic music Simon Clarkson and Paul Gongaware in the Americas and by Paul McQueen at Primary Talent in all other territories. Imanbek will continue to be managed by Kirill Lupinos at the Russian Independent label Effective Records.
Since blowing up with his viral remix of SAINt JHN’s “Roses,” which enjoyed a 23-week run at No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Songs, Imanbek has collaborated with dance world heavyweights including Marshmello (on the Usher collab “Too Much”) and David Guetta (on Bang, their collaborative EP with Rita Ora.)
“We are thrilled to be representing Imanbek,” Clarkson says in a statement. “He is an exciting new artist and we can’t wait to bring him to stages around the world.”
Less than two years ago, the 20-year-old artist was working for the Kazakh railway. His circumstances changed when he uploaded his then-bootleg remix of “Roses” to the Russian version of Facebook, where it went viral, became a worldwide phenomenon, got licensed and changed the trajectory of both Imanbek and SAINt JHN’s lives and careers.
“I was enrolled at railroad school, and during school I took a job on a railway service. I was a working student,” Imanbek told Billboard in 2020. By the time “Roses” was out, I was a proper railway worker. “Roses” became popular [in fall 2019], and by December, I stopped working to make music full time. I’m earning enough money and can afford everything I need. That’s a huge change. I’m very happy.”
