by Joslyn Layne Innovative percussionist and vocalist David Moss has been based out of Berlin since 1991. Improviser and provocateur, Moss' music ranges from extreme to experimental to 20th century, and includes compositions, sound collages, and tough jazz rock hybrids -- as in his Dense Band. Commissioned by New American Radio for the second time in the mid-80s, he created an 'operadio, ' Language Linkage, based on and around the texts of Italo Calvino. He has performed solo worldwide -- including NYC, Koln and Tokyo -- in prestigious places that like the Whitney Museum. Moss has also led the group Direct Sound, and served as Musical Director for the Leipzig Opera (for "Survival Songs"). Among his honors: a 1991 Guggenheim Fellowship and a DAAD Kunstlerprogram stipend for a one-year residency in Berlin; the Preis der Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik in 1992 and 1994; the Horspeil des Monats from the Deutsche Akademie des Darstellenden Kunste in 1995 for "Moss Tales." There's a clear record of experimental achievement and an openness to variety found in Moss' past that includes his solo performances; his work with music makers Heiner Goebbels, Fred Frith, and Jon Rose; and his collaborations with dancers Steve Paxton, Kei Takei, and Kenneth King.