The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands has stepped in to soundtrack an upcoming drama series on Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini

Adapted from the 2018 bestseller by Antonio Scurati, the eight-part series tells the “story of the political rise of the man who founded fascism”. It has been directed by BAFTA winner Joe Wright with Luca Marinelli in the starring role. 

Mussolini: Son of the Century will be streaming on Sky from 4th February and promises to provide an “insight” into the life of the Italian leader and his “political and personal relationships”. 

The new soundtrack, which is out now on Milan Records, follows previous work from Rowlands on the award-winning soundtrack to Wright’s 2011 film Hanna and his 2017 theatre production The Life of Galileo. Check out the Mussolini: Son of the Century soundtrack via Apple Music below.

“I really enjoy working with Joe, he’s an incredible director,” said Rowlands in a press release. “He is a master of his craft and to bring his vision to life through music is always an exciting challenge. A lot of this original soundtrack was built around playing old acoustic instruments using modern electronics; working in that way helped me reference the past yet still create something fresh and dynamic”.

Wright added: “What I find really fascinating about Mussolini is that he represents, in my mind, the worst of masculinity… Mussolini…dug down into the very worst of himself and used that to gain power”.

The Chemical Brothers released their tenth LP ‘For That Beautiful Feeling’ to critical acclaim in September 2023, snagging a Best Dance/Electronic Music Album at the Grammys last year.

In October 2023, the pair published a new biography, ‘Paused in Cosmic Reflection’, taking a look back at their 30-year career with contributions from collaborators such as Erol Alkan, Beth Orton, and Michel Gondry. 

Read about how the Chemical Brothers’ third album ‘Surrender’ became their biggest and brightest work.