Wolff (http://www.wolffandtuba.com) is a visionary that would fit well on Mute Records. Like Aphex Twin and Moby, Wolff is venturing into sonic territory that electronic music, at least to my knowledge, has never crept into. In this case, using the tuba as the primary instrument for the industrial, avant-jazz, and progressive rock structures that he has built on "Addition by Subtraction."
The title probably refers to Wolff's minimalistic approach on this record, letting his tuba create much of its futuristic noise, even using guitar pedals on them. If all this seems rather quaint or unlistenable, do not be afraid. This is not an experiment in chaos. Wolff actually has an ear for pop hooks; check out the driving beats of the title track and "Broken Words," for example.
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Now it may not be pop music in the commercial sense of the word, but Wolff's songs are about as cleverly hummable as Wire's. That's another act whose irreverent spirit was somehow able to manifest itself into toe-tapping, memorable compositions. And while "Screaming for Tuba" may sound like saws slicing through word, Wolff makes it work; as far as industrial music is concerned, "Screaming for Tuba" is edgy yet tuneful. In other words, this isn't an exercise in headaches like Throbbing Gristle at their most dissonant.
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