Gotobeat presents: PLANET FUNK - Blooom Tour

Formed in 1999, Planet Funk have been a key force in the international electronic and dance music scene for 25 years, thanks to their distinctive collective nature and the success they’ve achieved over the years.

The group was born from the merger of Souled Out! (Domenico “GG” Canu and Sergio Della Monica) and Kamasutra (Marco Baroni and Alex Neri). The band’s name, Planet Funk, comes from an old song written by Alex Neri himself. With the 2002 release of Non Zero Sumness, the band achieved widespread success, crowned by the Italian Music Awards and a gold record.

The 2003 edition, Non Zero Sumness Plus One, also featured One Step Closer, a song written in collaboration with Jim Kerr, lead singer of Simple Minds. Planet Funk were the only Italian band invited by the BBC in London to perform live on Radio One from the legendary Abbey Road Studios. In 2005, they released the album The Illogical Consequence, preceded by the single Stop Me, which was featured in a Coca-Cola TV commercial.

Their third album, Static, was released in 2006, with the title track included in the soundtrack of the popular video game FIFA 2008. In 2009, the band released the compilation album Planet Funk, featuring the single Lemonade and marking a return to the electro-rock sound that had brought them international recognition.

Released on September 20, 2011, The Great Shake marked Planet Funk’s return to original material after five years. The album was preceded by the single Another Sunrise, which quickly became one of the summer hits of 2011 and was chosen by Hyundai for a global advertising campaign. The album also introduced the vocals of charismatic singer Alex Uhlmann, expanding the band’s sonic identity.

The winter hit These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, featured in the film La Kryptonite nella borsa by director Ivan Cotroneo, was later chosen by Wind for commercials starring Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo, and by RAI as the soundtrack for the Euro 2012 Football Championship. In March 2012, The Great Shake +2 was released, adding the cover of These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ and a new version of Ora il mondo è perfetto, featuring a special appearance by Giuliano Sangiorgi of Negramaro. That same year, Planet Funk became brand ambassadors for Reebok, which launched a dedicated Classic Leather capsule collection.

In October 2015, the hit We-People was released and chosen by Save the Children as the soundtrack for its solidarity campaign. Shortly after, the band released Revelation, marking the return of Dan Black, whose voice also features on Non Stop, the single that launched Planet Funk’s acclaimed Recall Tour (2017–2018), bringing together Dan Black, Alex Uhlmann, and Sally Doherty on stage.

In 2018, guitarist and co-founder Sergio Della Monica sadly passed away. That same year, Planet Funk released the single All on Me and debuted a new live show featuring Alex Neri, Marco Baroni, and Dan Black, blending sound and visuals in a highly immersive and dance-driven format.

In 2020, the band celebrated its 20th anniversary with the concept album 20:20, featuring fully remastered versions of their greatest hits — including Chase the Sun, Who Said, Inside All the People, and Another Sunrise — at Abbey Road Studios, along with a previously unreleased version of Non Stop.

On January 6, 2023, Planet Funk released The World’s End, followed in June by Any Given Day, which became the soundtrack for a Vodafone commercial. On December 27, 2024, they released Nights in White Satin, a Planet Funk-style reinterpretation of the 1967 classic by The Moody Blues. Riding the song’s success, in February 2025 they appeared as special guests on the final night of the Sanremo Music Festival, performing a medley of their greatest hits.

On June 6, 2025, just days after the untimely passing of their beloved partner Domenico “GG” Canu, the band released I Get a Rush, dedicated to him. The summer of 2025 saw Planet Funk touring extensively across Italy and internationally, alongside the release of a remix of Alfa’s A me mi piace (featuring Manu Chao), followed in September by a collaboration with Francesca Michielin on È naturale.

These releases confirm Planet Funk’s ability to continuously evolve and connect with different musical worlds while staying true to their identity. The year closed with the announcement of their new album “BLOOOM”, scheduled for release on January 16, 2026.  

Text & Artwork: @gotobeat