MOVING SOUNDS with James Heather – Aukai Mix (05/03/2025)

This month’s edition of Moving Sounds takes a temporary break from the usual interviews and invites a series of artists to provide mixes. We welcome one of the most loved in the ambient acoustic scene, Markus Sieber, AKA Aukai. Picks include Tortoise, Mario Batkovic, Arvo Pärt, Keith Jarret & Büşra Kayıkçı.

Auk’s key instrument is the Charango, a plucked mandolin-like string instrument from the Andes, which has taken centre stage on his entire work so far. Born near Leipzig, East Germany, 15 years before the wall came down, his parents moved to a rustic simple old forgery in a village outside Dresden when he was six. At 16 he moved to Potsdam near Berlin and played guitar in alternative rock bands as a part of East Germany’s ‘90s rock scene before shifting his focus to work as a theatre, film & tv actor in Berlin and St. Petersburg. A life-changing move to Mexico put him in touch with music outside Germany and indigenous music, awakening a new musical mission.

@jamesheathersounds