Euphonik – For The Love Of House Vol. 5

One of South Africa's most recognisable and bankable house stars. Euphonik has his finger on the pulse of Mzansi's youth. As one half of the duo F.eU alongside DJ Fresh, he has in recent years made his mark on TV and on radio, cementing his superstar status.

Weighing in at 21 tracks, Euphonik's latest release is highly unlikely to disappoint his legions of teenage fans. It's also a great introduction to local house for those not familiar with the scene. Euphonik (aka Themba Nkosi) had a hand in producing most of the tracks, drawing on the vocal talents of Kris J, Kelly, KB, Chomee and others. These he balances quite tastefully with tracks by international acts such as Chris Malinchak ('So Good To Me'), Ten Walls ('Gotham'), Gregor Salto ('Drumology') and Him_Self_Her ('Gone Too Long'), as well as a remix of Candi Stanton's gospel hit 'Hallelujah Anyway'.

But something is missing. Much like his radio station, 5fm, Euphonik targets as large an audience as possible, by delivering generic, commercial house with mass appeal. This requires skillful production but risks scaring away more discerning listeners wanting something more. It's catchy, sexy and inoffensive - but is it special? Not really. Buy this album if you love fun, easy dance music. If you're looking for something fresh, on the other hand, you'd best look elsewhere.