Home Brewed

He may have gone on to global megastardom, the emblematic DJ of luxury Afro house, effortlessly piling up the millions playing Russian oligarchs’ yacht parties – but there is good reason that Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo aka Black Coffee was THE breakout South African house DJ internationally. This album is the pinnacle of his early imperial phase, and blends classic US sounds with local rhythm and dynamics with bravura skill, every song a celebration of how dancing can make anyone feel like a million dollars, every tone and drum hit velvet smooth but still heavy, the whole thing a delight from start to end. You can hear the burning ambition in it, and it’s not surprising he carried on up the DJ heirarchy, but he never quite regained this creative fire.