Art Vs. Commerce- A Familiar Situation

There are pros and cons to almost every situation. I have spoken and written about the music industry many times in the past and as usual, I am on the fence about the state of the industry today. First let’s look at the pros. Music provides a creative outlet for many individuals who otherwise might have none. The cost of entry these days is comparatively small. For the cost of a good microphone and a basic computer program, anyone can record an album. Corporate America is no longer holding the key to what you can discover in the music business. Sites like Reverbnation, Bandcamp and Noise Trade are filled with musicians trying to distribute their products without the need of a corporate master. Now for the cons. Almost anyone can now record an album and distribute it online and that’s not always a good thing. There is so much music available now it can be difficult to sift through the mediocre and find the gems out there. I see lots of artists that compare themselves to known established acts and once you are suckered in to make the click, there is absolutely no resemblance to those established acts.

The fact of the matter is, very few musicians these days are actually making a living off of their music. The reality is that music is a “hobby” or a pleasant diversion from their daily routine. Luca Bash is one such musician living the dichotomy of today’s music business. He states very plainly on his website that he lives in two worlds, the one world of jobs and responsibilities and the other world of creativity and expression. Such is the case for far too many “artists” of today. Luca’s newest project, CMYK is a 5 song EP consisting 1 single “Your Tomorrow” and 4 songs from the CMYK project. “The CMYK is a project made by 4 EPs that represent all the songs written since 2003 by Luca Bash.” The “band” Luca Bash is actually an acoustic duo consisting of Luca Bash & Giova Pes. The two met and started playing together in 2007 but it wasn’t until 2012 that the two embarked on the CYMK project.

Luca is “convinced that a song played properly with two guitar and voice is enough” and we couldn’t agree more. Provided of course that the songs themselves represent quality material and that’s exactly what we have on this particular EP and if you explore further, on all of the EP’s in the CYMK project. Song after song, Luca delivers heartfelt lyrics surrounded by sparse but ample arrangements and showcases the work of a true artist, not a part time hobbyist.

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