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Mar 08, 2021 By Haydon Spenceley

It’s always exciting when a long-lost musical gem is brought back to the surface and that’s what Whatitdo Archive Group is purporting to do with its soundtrack for the long-lost movie The Black Stone Affair. Today Under the Radar is excited to premiere the video for the new single from the album, “Ethiopian Airlines.”

Steeped in obscurity, a cult following of crate-diggers and musical oddity collectors has been brewing over the mysterious releases of the Whatitdo Archive Group. Surfacing in 2009 from the high deserts of Reno, NV, USA, this recording collective focuses solely on curating, performing, and preserving esoteric soundtrack, library, and deep-groove collections. The personnel of the group consists of three musicians; each of them avid composers, recording engineers, and obsessive record collectors. Alexander Korostinsky, Mark Sexton, and Aaron Chiazza met in college and have been working together on producing music for over 10 years.

This band out of Nevada certainly brings the funk on this track, one of the centerpieces of a fine album, which marks a strong debut for the act. Alternately driving and lyrical, what is inescapable is the potent mix of musicality and feeling which sits at the heart of the track and the album as a whole.

The Black Store Affair was understood to be unusual for its time: a globetrotting adventure/western-noir written and directed by aspiring visionary, Stefano Paradisi. Unfortunately for Paradisi, the tragic loss of his masterpiece also meant the end of his short-lived career in movies. People who worked on the film have been cited as saying this film was going to be a turning point in Italian cinema and henceforth put Paradisi on the map alongside the likes of Fellini and Antonioni. While the movie never saw the light of day, the soundtrack by obscure band Whatitdo Archive Group has thankfully been recovered. On “Ethiopian Airlines,” we can settle in for quite a journey with Whatitdo Archive Group.

Alexander Korostinsky says of the track, “Ethiopian Airlines” transports the score into exotic lands with its Afro-centric rhythms and mysterious horn melody. The hypnotizing and explosive saxophone solo is a highlight moment on the record and serves as an especially funky scene in the film. Check out the track below.