Phoenician Drive takes its name from the ancient people of what is modern-day Lebanon, known for their commercial acumen and cultural influence across the Mediterranean region. The Brussels-based sextet was established by Chilean percussionist Diego Moscoso and combines psychedelic rock-'n-roll with traditional music. 
 
The great diversity of musical traditions that are still very much alive today in Turkey, the Middle East, Cyprus, Greece, North Africa, Sicily, Andalusia and countless other regions forms an endless playground for them. The band explores, experiments and strays from the beaten path, to then reshape beats and motifs and give them new form and meaning.
 
Tracks slowly crystallise from an anachronistic, syncretic melting pot, while the six musicians create a space in which the electric oud and darbuka blend freely with distorted guitars and contemporary pop. After two EPs - Two Coins for the Boatman and GLOW – a number of albums, Phoenician Drive will release a second EP on EXAG Records in early 2027. Shadowboxing will be an album with eight songs and is a call to peaceful resistance in our surreal modern times.
 
Themes like dictatorship, covid lockdowns and the post-Soviet era are encapsulated in short, absurdist choruses and long, trance-like musical arrangements in which beings from the past appear and dance beneath broken street lamps. The stage is still the best setting to bring their tracks – especially the longer ones – to life and unfurl their true potential. A not-to-be-missed première.