FANTASTIC MAN — A Little Bit More

Fantastic Man – A Little Bit More The Axis Of People – AP-003 12-inch Vinyl Fantastic Man returns with A Little Bit More, the third release on his own The Axis Of People and the label’s first release of 2026. The four-track EP marks a subtle but significant shift in direction: after exploring increasingly trance-oriented territory, Fantastic Man brings those expansive melodic instincts back into a more direct house framework. The result is warm, bass-driven and highly functional, with deep chords, fluid grooves and carefully controlled synth textures at its core. The title track, “A Little Bit More”, sets the tone with a powerful house groove, Latin-influenced percussion and cowbell accents. The rhythm section provides the physical foundation while the synth palette introduces a brighter, more euphoric dimension. Rather than relying on a conventional peak-time drop, the track develops through groove, harmonic movement and gradual shifts in texture, giving it a strong sense of momentum without losing its restraint. “A Little Bit More” also illustrates how Fantastic Man has absorbed elements of the modern trance sound he has explored in recent years without allowing them to dominate the production. The melodic material remains atmospheric and expansive, but the overall construction is unmistakably house-focused. It is a meeting point between contemporary deep house, progressive house and the more euphoric side of club music. A2, “Be There”, moves deeper into melodic territory. A cohesive, elastic bassline supports a silky synth refrain, creating a warmer and more fluid atmosphere. The track has a strong melodic identity but avoids becoming overly sentimental, keeping the arrangement firmly connected to the dancefloor. Specialist Japanese retailer Newtone highlights its deep-house character and the contrast between its smooth synth line and tightly controlled low end. “Be There” is perhaps the clearest example of Fantastic Man’s ability to make melodic house feel physical rather than purely atmospheric. The bass remains central throughout, while the synth refrain gives the track its emotional contour. At around six minutes, the arrangement has enough room to breathe, making it particularly suited to longer transitions and deeper sections of a DJ set. On the B-side, “Inhibition” increases the rhythmic pressure. The groove becomes more driving and the bassline takes on a more progressive character, while the synth work maintains the EP’s spacious quality. Its position at B1 gives the record a natural second-half lift, moving from the warmer A-side material towards a more energetic club-focused sound. “Prophecy” closes A Little Bit More with the most radical rhythmic change on the record. At approximately 103 BPM, it leaves the straight house framework behind for a dubbed-out broken-beat approach. The slower tempo and fractured rhythm create a completely different sense of space, allowing the EP to finish on a more leftfield and exploratory note. Taken as a whole, A Little Bit More is a strong example of Fantastic Man refining rather than abandoning his recent trance explorations. The heavy chords, atmospheric synths and melodic sensibility remain intact, but they are placed inside a more immediate house structure. That balance gives the record considerable range: deep and rolling on the A-side, progressively more driving on “Inhibition”, and finally broken and dubby on “Prophecy”. Released on The Axis Of People as AP-003, A Little Bit More continues the direction established by Fantastic Man’s self-titled label debut while pushing the project towards a more explicitly house-oriented sound. The record works equally well as a focused four-track DJ tool and as a concise statement of where Fantastic Man’s production is heading in 2026. The vinyl edition was mastered by Corey Kikos, with lacquers cut by Analogcut and distribution handled by One Eye Witness.