Marking the fortieth anniversary of the Pink Panther’s appearance on the silver screen, the classic, hugely identifiable “d-dum-d-dum” of the film’s (and cartoon’s) theme tune, originally penned by Henry Mancini, has received a few facelifts on this collection. Each interpretation updates the slinky original with distinctly signature styles: Ultramodern tastemakers Fischerspooner twist the smooth horns into a tweaked-out affair, while jazz specialist St. Germain’s Ludovic Navarre shapes the suave elements into a reggae version, and Malibu gives it the breakbeat treatment.
Penthouse is embellished by non-PP numbers from current downtempo favorites such as Koop, Nicola Conte, and Ursula 1000 — all known for their slick, lounge-centric compositions. Meanwhile, upbeat electronica stars Fatboy Slim and Dimitri from Paris give the mix a danceable swing, balanced by a few quirky contributions, such as Pizzicato Five’s twirpy interpretation of “The Girl from Ipanema” and Gabin’s sultry remix of Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” The combination of old vibes and new artists here is extremely well done, making the old fashionable and the new classic all at once.
