The House the Rabbit Built

Ah, the Playboy Mansion. The mere mention of it sets the mind wandering. Playmates. Parties. The Game Room. Parties. The Grotto. Playmates. Parties. Playmates in lingerie at non-stop parties. If only one could go there whenever one wanted. Now the teams at Arush and Groove Games have made it possible to not only go there, but even let you be Hef and create your magazine empire with Playboy: The Mansion, releasing tomorrow for the PC, Xbox and PS2. Koch Records, along with Playboy Music, has given us a soundtrack CD of tuneage from the game that is a ready-made party whenever you spin it.

Mixed by Felix da Housecat, the soundtrack features 79 and-a-half minutes of enough house, techno and futurepop that it becomes an instant party in a jewel box. Mr. da Housecat (aka Felix Stallings, Jr.) spins the entire album “in-the-mix,” so you can pop it on at your next gathering and won’t have to worry about changing CDs for well over an hour, and you can tell your friends they are partying at the Playboy Mansion ______ (fill in your town’s name here).

Hey Mr. DJ, Put the Disc On

The 12 tracks on Playboy: The Mansion are supplied by a variety of electronic artists. The front cover sticker announces “exclusive songs as heard in the videogame” though it is unclear if this is the only place you can get them or not. Leading off the disc is Armand Van Helden’s “Fly Away Love”. The liberal usage of the “disconnecting from the Matrix” sound effect gives the track its cyberpunk flavor. The opening track gives way to DJ Sneak doing “Wickeddy Beats”, an appropriately popping dance number.

Steve Porter’s 80’s-esque “Swanky” is next with the more housey “Shakedown” from High Caliber and “The Groove” by Mark Knight following. The boom-tchk-boom-tchk-boom of “Strong” by Kaskade segues into the more sensual groove of Michael Burns’ “Corrective Tones” (Matthew Dekay Remix), and is the first appearance of full vocals on the disc. Just past the halfway point of the album, this longer track mellows down into a chill groove for several minutes, then gives way to the more upbeat “So Hot” from Miles Maeda. After nearly ten minutes of this bouncing party starter, things cool down again, or rather heat up with what is arguably the sexiest groove on the disc, Mazi & Lori doing “Your Touch.”.

Johnny Fiasco’s “Mocha Disco” brings the dance groove back with what sounds like a Kelis sample hidden in there. Ray Roc Presents delivers “Jungle Kissess (10” Raw Sax Dub). No we don’t detect any double entendre in that title at all. Felix da Housecat saves his own contribution for last. At only two and a half minutes, it is the shortest track on the album, but is a fun, bouncy, electro, vocal romp to close out the disc.

The Great Debate: Original vs. Licensed

This is the topic that seemingly sets off game music aficionados quicker than a Roland TR-909 set to subwoofer melt mode. Yes, it would have been very easy for Arush to go out and hire a composer to do original compositions. Yes, it was likely cheaper for them to license tracks. But put those tracks in the hands of an experienced mixer and you get the resulting cohesive album which delivers as both a soundtrack for Playboy: The Mansion and stands on its own as an immensely listenable electronica experience. The bottom line, if you are playing and enjoying the game, you are going to want this to listen to when you have to leave your controller and pixel-rendered pleasure palace.