Cem Aksel began his professional music career during high school. In 1983, he studied jazz and drums for a year at the Swiss Jazz School in Switzerland. Early in his career, he collaborated with prominent figures such as Emin Fındıkoğlu and Onno Tunç. Over the years, he has worked with some of the most influential musicians in Turkey’s jazz, pop, and alternative music scenes.​

He has contributed to over 200 local and international albums and has performed extensively both in Turkey and abroad, notably at venues like Nardis Jazz Club. Since 1990, he has been a member of the Bülent Ortaçgil Orchestra and continues to produce professional recordings at his home studio.​

In recent years, Aksel has been involved in notable projects such as the Töz (2018) and Töz II (2022) albums, collaborating with Tamer Temel, Ercüment Orkut, and the Hezarfen Ensemble. He also contributed to the Synthetic Vision EP (2023) alongside Batu Şallıel, Apostolos Sideris, and Jef Giansily, and appeared on Torab Majlesi's single "Bat Flight" (2023).​