From its underground psychedelic scene to iconic cinematic composers, Rome is a city rich in musical history. For our latest Sense of Place series, the World Cafe team traveled to Italy’s capital city to capture a sliver of Rome’s musical wonders.

From June 20 to July 2, we’ll be sharing dispatches from our Sense of Place: Rome series. We’ll visit the studio where Ennio Morricone recorded cinematic masterpieces for films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. We’ll also take you inside a record label dedicated to preserving lost B-movie soundtracks.

The series will highlight contemporary musicians shaping the sounds of Rome and Italy today, like Laila al Habash. The Rome-born, Milan-based artist shares with us how her Palestinian roots inspire her music.

To kick things off, we’ve put together a mixtape with some of the music that’ll be featured throughout our latest Sense of Place series, plus some extra Italian classics to set the mood.

On top of interviews and stories, we also have a slate of performances, recorded live in Italy. Check out the full schedule of episodes below.

June 20 – Four Flies Records

A Rome-based label with a unique mission: recovering and reissuing Italian B-movie soundtracks from the 1960s-’80s. Founder Pier De Sanctis shares the stories behind these cinematic gems.

June 23 – Weird Bloom

The sound of ’70s psychedelic glam rock lives on in Rome. Frontman Luca Di Cataldo talks about his work with producer Don Bolles and cultivating a local music scene through his indie label and studio, Pom Pom.

June 24 – Laila al Habash

The Rome-born, Milan-based artist shares why she writes in Italian, how her Palestinian roots inspire her music, and performs songs from her latest EP and upcoming album, Tempo.

June 25 – Ludovico Einaudi

One of the most-streamed classical composers in the world, Einaudi reflects on memory, family and his latest album, The Summer Portraits, plus the story behind his Arctic piano performance.

June 26 – Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi on Rome

This encore episode revisits the duo’s cinematic 2011 album, Rome, recorded at the legendary Forum Studios with a nod to Spaghetti Western soundtracks and Morricone’s legacy.

June 27 – Forum Studios

Go inside the famed Roman studio founded by Morricone and other composers in 1969. Instruments from classic soundtracks still echo through this space, and its story lives on through the studio’s current director.

June 30 – Black Snake Moan

A one-man psychedelic blues band channeling the spirit of the American Southwest while drawing from his own roots in the Italian countryside. Plus, Black Snake Moan performs a live set recorded at Studio 33 in Rome.

July 1 – Six Bars Jail

This volunteer-run folk club outside Florence has hosted finger-style guitarists from around the world since 2006. Hear how the tradition continues in an intimate and unexpected setting.

July 2 – Ariete

A rising Italian pop star with a soulful, introspective style, Ariete talks about coming of age in music, earning her family’s support, and what really launched her career, plus she performs a stripped-down session at Studio 33.

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