Joy to the world! It’s the return of our favourite festive tradition, the Joyzine Advent Calendar, back for its 22nd consecutive edition, which as far as we’re aware makes it the longest running on the net.
As always, every track is completely free to download and we don’t require you to sign up for a mailing list (though you can if you want to) or hand over your personal data – it’s our way of saying thank you to everyone who’s visited the site during 2025 and to hopefully bring a few more listeners to some very deserving artists.
However, if you do enjoy the tracks we would love you to consider making a donation to our chosen cause, which this year is HOPE not hate, and their stirling work researching, campaigning, and supporting communities to build HOPE and oppose far-right extremism. You can make a donation here.
I first met Linus Fitness Centre (Linus FC) virtually via the positively bulging grindcore, hardcore punk, Fastcore, gore grind, scenes in Bristol and Newport. This scene is incredibly fertile and is growing year on year thanks to pubs such as The Exchange, The Golden Lion, The Cab and Strange Brew who, as well as weekly/monthly gigs, host annual festivals that promote these burgeoning scenes via festivals such as Egg Fest and Monochrome – Festival of Ugly Music Egg Fest and next year’s Monochrome heavily feature Linus FC’s core band Atomck. Absolute legends of the grindcore scene, Atomck’s key ear drum bothering lead singer, Linus FC can also be found in numerous other bands, as well as making music under his own moniker here. This laid back and ethereal, track feels like the complete antithesis of what Linus’s day job is, but somehow it works perfectly. Darkwave synths that remind one of Italian horror synth scores (a horror that is a particular love of Linus) totally encapsulate the track. It ebbs and flows with its theatrics and cinematic reach. A prolific artist and promoter, Linus FC is a name to watch in 2026.
We caught up with him for a festive q&a session:
Tell us a little bit about your track please
An outtake from the album I released back in May – persistent random misfortune – booted out for being too miserable
What have you been up to in 2025?
Album release and lots of shows – mostly with my other bands Atomçk and WÜLF GAS, both of whom did some fun tours in the UK and Europe. Also promoted way too many shows as Sharp Noodle Presents.
And what are your plans for next year?
Not a lot. Record albums with Atomçk and thinking with sand. Maybe write some new solo stuff if I get chance. Hang out with my dog, I dunno.
What have been your musical highlights of the year from other bands/artists?
Favourite shows: Jesus Lizard at The Fleece, AK/DK & Thick Richard at Exchange, Melvins at Exchange, Julie at Thekla, Eggfest, Monochrome, Mark Eitzel at Hen and Chicken, Baths at Strange Brew, Das Kinn at Strange Brew, Shitbrains at The Lab, Deftones in London, Psudoku at The Croft, Swirlies at Exchange, Fabio Frizzi at EartH.
Favourite albums: Baths – Gut, Das Kinn – Ruinenkampf, Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky, Horsebastard – Horsebastard, Deftones – Private Music, Total Wife – come back down.
Christmas: The most wonderful time of the year or a big bag of humbug?
Somewhere in the middle. I like eating too much and doing very little.
Stream and download ‘suboptimal’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Linus Fitness Centre: Facebook / Instagram
Linus’ Other Bands: Atomçk – Facebook / Instagram; Thinking with Sand – Facebook; WÜLF GAS – Instagram
More tracks from this year’s calendar:
1: Piney Gir & Parenthesis Dot Dot Dot
2: Syd Howells
3: The Happy Hollow
4: Stephen Evens
5: Ombudsmen
6: The Scaramanga Six
7: Dextro + Rubber Oh
8: Craig Fortnam
9: Salt The Snail
10: Cerys Hafana
11: bis x Art Brut
12: Gemma Rogers
13: The Joyzine Christmas Band, Gift Box, Skink + Adam & Elvis
14: DRIFT. + Annie Gardiner
15: Kat Five + Charley Stone
16: MJ Hibbett & CJ Thorpe-Tracey
17: Crocodile Collective ft. Elisabeth Elektra, The Margins, Jolt, Charlie Salvidge, New Commercial Product + Great Silkie
18: The Gymkhana + The Pawnbroker
19: Leg Puppy 2.0
20: LOUD WOMEN ft. deux furieuses, I, Doris, ShyGodwin, HotWax, Twat Union + Retropxssy
21: Slime City
22: a.P.A.t.T. + David J Boswell
Check back tomorrow for another free festive download!
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