In late 2016, Pittsburgh bassist, Beni Rossman, brought together current and former colleagues from different projects around the city. Rossman’s ultimate goal, while bringing together the members and the music of the band, was to combine the musical and social roots of Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, Pop, and EDM, into an intellectually and physically stimulating experience (in which their mantra reflects; “Your brain is in your butt”).   

Beni and his colleague Langston Kelly (lead vocals/saxophone) discussed the idea of making music that was greater than just a genre and after a short meeting came up with the term “Unity Music”.  

The concept behind Unity Music is to promote musical collaboration as well as to unify social relationships and the relationship between your own mind and body. “We want people to enjoy themselves in a mentally and physically stimulating way while also maintaining the integrity and complexity of the music itself,” says Rossman. Starship Mantis continues to develop new music out of this concept.