Two Vienna-based bands, each featuring Led Bib drummer Mark Holub– but that’s about it for commonalities. Acoustic quintet Anthropods was Holub’s lockdown project bringing together elements of neo-classical composition with vigorous elements of improvisation.

Sophomore album Abundant Shores was conceived as a single continuous suite of eight ‘pieces’, a sequence of passages flowing and swerving through unstructured bursts to sudden tight rhythmic or melodic themes. At one point a kind of randomised canon is tossed between instruments using a variety of speeds and keys and there’s even a (sort of) groove number, albeit one that staggers and starts again. The emphasis is on texture and there is a sonic consistency emanating from the characterful instrumentation and playing. As drummer Holub provides the defining commentary throughout and the piece arcs gently to an unexpectedly tidy resolution. It’s satisfyingly serious music that is, nevertheless, an entertaining listen.

Blueblut’s fifth album Lutebulb, however, is seriously entertaining from its jaunty cartoonish start. The band have been working together for a decade, latterly with Chris Janka’s automaton MIDI Orchestra, but this trio album sees them enjoying getting back to basics. The 14-minute marathon 'Arrobark' manages to cram a history of prog-rock references into a loping Afro-Latin number that goes cosmic, melts down and then roars back with Rage Against The Machine-like intensity punctuated by an intentionally annoying barking dog. Each of Lutebulb’s six tracks mixes improvising energy with absolute precision, many held down by Pamelia Stickney’s amazing Theremin bass lines and there’s even an infuriatingly catchy earworm as 'Aumba'’s crescendo has Holub singing a charming Anglo-Austrian song about getting lost. The Blueblut trio clearly love playing together and they’ll take a good idea wherever it comes from.

As a result Lutebulb shimmers with creativity while delivering a satisfying dollop of knowingly musical fun.