Barry Adamson – Scala Posters (Mondo Bongo)

Barry Adamson scored the documentary SCALA!!!, which tells the story of London’s legendary King’s Cross repertory cinema. The venue ran from 1978 to 1993, programming double features, all-nighters, and screenings that mixed horror, kung-fu, LGBTQ+ cinema, and cult films. Directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall assembled interviews with John Waters, Mark Moore, Mary Harron, Isaac Julien, Ben Wheatley, and Adamson himself.

“Scala Posters (Mondo Bongo)” is one of 22 tracks on the soundtrack, out January 16th via Mute. Adamson brings his noir sensibilities to the score, mixing jazz, funk, and atmosphere. The music shifts from brooding and cinematic to playful and chaotic, matching the Scala’s wild programming and countercultural spirit.

Adamson came up as the bassist for Magazine, then played with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for three years before launching his solo career with Moss Side Story in 1989. He’s worked with Derek Jarman, David Lynch, Oliver Stone, and Danny Boyle on film scores. His 1992 album Soul Murder got a Mercury Prize nomination. He released Cut To Black in 2024.

The Scala closed after losing a copyright case over an illegal screening of A Clockwork Orange in 1992-93. Warner Bros pursued the case at Stanley Kubrick’s insistence. Adamson’s score references titles and moments from the cinema’s history, including the resident cats and the obscenity case that shut it down.

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Tracklist:

1. SCALA!!! (Opening Title)
2. Timelines
3. Scala Posters (Mondo Bongo)
4. As Steve Woolley Sees It
5. Babs Johnson Is Divine
6. Iggy And Lou And Mick Rock Too
7. Latex Gloves
8. Acid Celluloid
9. Scala Cats
10. Sodom And Tomorrow
11. Barry’s Iranian Embassy Blues
12. Spandau Politics
13. Another All Nighter
14. One Of Us / Sticky Floors Atmos
15. Pink Narcissus
16. Black Leather Lovers
17. Back To The Cats
18. Jane’s Day Out In Court
19. King’s Cross Skyline
20. The Party’s Over
21. SCALA!!! (End Title)
22. Scalarama (Outtake)