February 20th 2026: For composer, producer, and sound designer John Valasis, sound has never been just a technical pursuit.
Growing up in Thessaloniki in a home filled with musical instruments, sound was part of everyday life long before it became a profession. In the early 1990s, long before online tutorials were available, learning came entirely through experimentation.
One formative moment came when Valasis began layering sounds using two cassette decks. The results were crude, but the discovery was profound. It revealed that sound could be shaped and transformed, and from that point on it became clear that audio was not a hobby, but a lifelong calling.
By his teenage years, Valasis had built his first studio and was working as a recording engineer and producer. Early success followed, including gold and platinum records as a composer by the age of twenty, reinforcing his desire to continue learning and evolving.
Since relocating to Athens in 2008, sound has remained central to Valasis’s work. His practice spans sound design, music composition, and the creation of sample libraries and presets for leading music technology companies including Native Instruments, Ableton, Roland, Steinberg, and Meta. Alongside this, his music has featured in productions for HBO, BBC, and Amazon Prime, with publishing representation through Ninja Tune in the UK.
What defines his approach is the balance between technical precision and storytelling. Whether recording instruments, designing textures, or developing musical themes, the focus remains on the ability of sound to enhance and support both narrative and emotion.
That philosophy is embodied in Athens Film Sound, the first dedicated foley and sound design studio for film in Greece, founded by John Valasis alongside longtime collaborator Mikes Billis. Located in the heart of Athens, the studio was designed as a modern creative environment, with careful attention to acoustics, workflow, and collaboration.
Despite operating for a relatively short time, Athens Film Sound has already contributed to television series, short films, and feature film productions, while also hosting workshops with universities and film schools. The studio has quickly established itself as both a production facility and an educational hub.
When defining the technical heart of the studio, trust and accuracy were essential. Valasis’s awareness of Prism Sound dates back to the era of printed audio magazines, where the ADA-8XR stood out as a benchmark for uncompromising conversion quality.
At the centre of Athens Film Sound now sits the Prism Sound Atlas audio interface, chosen as the main recording and conversion platform for the entire facility. Every microphone connects directly to Atlas, whose converters and mic preamps form the backbone of all recording, sound design, and mixing work.
With Dante connectivity enabling a fully networked workflow, the system offers flexibility, scalability, and the confidence that what is being heard is accurate allowing creative decisions to be made without distraction.
Over time, Valasis’s relationship with sound has shifted away from technical perfection toward emotional honesty. Today, collaboration and storytelling are prioritised over control, creating space for sound to connect with audiences. Looking ahead, the ambition is to collaborate on stories told well beyond Greece. Whether working on independent films or larger international productions, the goal remains the same: to approach every project with care, accuracy, and respect for the story.
