A.way & Thez – Half Life 3 (Interview)

Welcome back to more insight on the freshest drum and bass releases. Today we share with you A.way & Thez – Half Life 3 (Interview). The duo have been making waves and this release steps up the heat! We get to learn about their achievements, collaborations, and some details about ‘Half Life 3’!

Welcome back A.way & Thez. Congratulations A.way on your Best Newcomer award at the 2024 DNB Awards! How has that recognition impacted your journey as a music producer?

A.way: Thanks for having us. To be completely honest, I didn’t feel any significant change. At least now I can write in my bio that I am a newcomer. Of course I’m glad people voted for me and I truly appreciate the award.

Thez, what initially drew you both to the drum and bass genre, and what aspects of it continue to inspire you?

Thez: It has always been essential for me to recognize the beautiful golden ratio within which the genre exists. Perhaps I could reference Goldie, who once said, “Drum and bass is like the jazz of electronic music.” Here, technical sophistication meets an incredible level of limitless creativity—I love when music is broken.

Your bio mentioned that you both moved in together in Prague last year. How has living and working together in the same space influenced your creative process and collaboration?

A.way: I’ve definitely felt a fundamental shift in my schedule and mindset. We had to make many compromises, both in our personal lives and in our music production. Some were good decisions, some not so much, but the main thing is that we’ve kept moving forward, and our collaboration continues to evolve.

Thez: I’ve gotten so used to Martin (A.way) being around, that it feels like having a sibling—we constantly inspire each other. I guess it’s only natural when you go through something as intense as a submarine experience (laughs). But that’s part of the journey, and I think it has pushed us both in incredible ways. Our music and careers are really developing—it’s like co-owning a company.

Your new single, “Half Life 3,” is a tribute to the Half-Life video game series. What specific elements from the games did you want to capture in the track, and how did you approach incorporating them into the music?

Thez: Valve has always been my inspiration. There aren’t many titles that have marked the evolution of humanity quite like Half-Life. The game is excellent—more like an all-night blockbuster. We played through it together last fall, and around that time, information about the White Sands project started surfacing. It seems to reference the original setting of the game, the mysterious Black Mesa laboratory. I think we’ll be in for some surprises regarding what the studio is actually working on.

A.way: We came across a sample pack featuring sounds from Half-Life 2 and started incorporating them into our track. A careful listener will be able to recognise all the samples we used.

The press release mentioned the use of “broken beat call sections” and “straight beat responses” in “Half Life 3.” Can you elaborate on this technique and how it contributes to the overall energy and flow of the track?

A.way: That’s actually the most commonly used method in drum & bass production today. I call it the A/B method—it consists of a “question,” which is the first part of the drop, followed by an “answer,” which is the second, more straightforward part of the drop. This approach allows a producer to deliver the best possible experience of a track or idea.

Thez: Simply put, it’s a question followed by an answer, alternating every eight bars.

If you could choose another game to write a track to pay homage to, what would it be and why?

Thez: For me, that would definitely be The Thing, the classic game from Computer Artworks Studio. But if I were to go full nerd and dive into childhood inspirations, I’d pick Drakan: The Ancient Gates from Surreal Software. From another perspective, I’d also mention the entire Bionicle universe—the legendary alternative world created by LEGO.

A.way: Hmm, that’s a tough question because very few games capture a vibe like Half-Life, which fits the drum & bass aesthetic almost perfectly. I don’t play games at all anymore, so the last major release I caught was Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. So maybe something inspired by the medieval era—a jingle from the days of castles and warriors.

You’ve both released music on a variety of labels, including MODUS, No Copyright Sounds, Neksus Sound, C4C, and Neu. How have your experiences with these different labels shaped your approach to releasing music?

A.way: Every label has its own style of music. So when I finish a track, I can usually tell which label it might fit on. I also understand how different labels communicate and know the people behind them, so a lot of the time, my choice is also based on relationships.

Thez: I’ll start with a childhood reference—some things get so deeply etched into your soul that they’re hard to shake, haha. When I was about 12, my cousin played Split the Atom by Noisia, and I instantly fell in love. The labels I try to sign with share the same values that drew me to that sound in the first place. That’s why I release music with them, and I appreciate the opportunity. I will definitely focus on these labels in the future.

What are your future plans and aspirations as a duo, both in terms of your music production and your presence in the drum and bass scene? 

A.way: Hopefully, our collaboration will continue to grow. Our latest project is Half-Life, but I’ve also just launched my newest venture, Masterclass 2025, in collaboration with Victor (Thez). So, we’re expanding beyond just music. Viktor and I work well together, even though we have different personalities and opinions, but I believe our partnership and friendship are for life.

Thez: As Martin said, our friendship is built on a deep sharing of values. Of course, we’re all a little different—that’s normal, and it’s what makes each of us unique. We have a few more tracks together, and beyond working on our own music, we’ve even considered starting a business together—but that’s something for the future. Right now, I’m collaborating with Martin on the Masterclass, which we finished while he was in Prague.

In the meantime, I’ve also been developing my own business, focused on education. I’m a pharmacist, and I want to help people discover alternative ways to take care of their health and spark interest in biohacking. I think those who follow me will learn more about it soon. It’s definitely my next step forward—I don’t want to put all my energy into just one thing.

Links

https://lnk.to/EVOC059

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