Tosh Berman's 2017 Favorite New (for me) Albums

For the world, a total nightmare of a year.  For me, standing near my turntable and stereo speakers, an excellent year.  Here, and in no special order, are albums that I  have heard for the first time in 2017.  Some of the releases are very old, and some came out this year - but all, were first listening experiences for the year 2017.  The Ork Records and Webern box sets, I may have heard some of the music some years ago, but these are new packages for me.  Even though I believer the Webern box set came out in the 1960s.   The majority of the albums (all vinyl) I purchased are used, but some I did buy if they were reissued, or I was lucky finding it online or more likely in a record store, either here in Los Angeles or in Tokyo.   Nevertheless, for me, this was totally new music for the year 2017.  So, again, in no special order, here are the albums.  And keep in mind, that I did write reviews of some of the titles, but there are albums here that I haven't had a chance to write on, or about the recordings.  So here it is:

Liquid Liquid - "Successive Reflexes" 12" 45 rpm, Vinyl, EP, Reissue, 2015/1981 (Superior Viaduct)

Liquid Liquid is a remarkable band from New York City, and they made noise in 1981.  "Successive Reflexes" is an EP of five tracks.  They're really not songs, but more of a groove with tons of percussion instruments. There's a tiny essence of a piano, but mostly it's bass and drums.  In a sense, they remind me of ESG, another band from the New York area of that same time/era.  Clearly, LCD Soundsystem is very much influenced by Liquid Liquid, which is a hybrid of post-punk, dance music and disco - yet, more geared in the dub era of Public Image Ltd.   They also remind me a bit of the Factory Records band A Certain Ratio.   

They made live recordings, but I prefer this EP of studio work, due to the experimentation of the sounds they are making.  There is something clinical but raw sounding about their approach, but it is clearly music to make you hop, twist, and shake your body parts.