Between 1977 and 1985, he performed with his own band "Timeless", and joined the Vienna Art Orchestra in 1977, in which he played, except for a four-year break, until he left in 2010.

His most recent band project is the group Depart, an energetic saxophone trio with Jojo Mayer on drums and Heiri Känzig on bass, which was founded in 1985 and revives the alpine music tradition with the most varied forms of contemporary jazz.

He has collaborated with a variety of European and American jazz musicians including Art Blakey, Wolfert Brederode, Dave Holland, Terje Rypdal, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal, Mike Richmond, Mino Cinelu, Friedrich Gulda, Idris Muhammad, Joe Zawinul, Harry Pepl, Gene Jackson, and Andy McKee.

[1] Sokal has also contributed to many Austrian pop productions, including the Hallucination Company, Wolfgang Ambros, Falco s album Einzelhaft.

[2] He also teaches saxophone and improvisation at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz.