Local

Ian Wyatt, who records as Local Artist and occasionally under the alias Slow Riffs, is a Vancouver-based producer working in and around drum and bass/jungle. His practice spans studio production and live/club performance. Within the drum & bass umbrella he is most often heard in styles that touch on liquid and atmospheric textures alongside broader bass music approaches.

Wyatt co-founded the Mood Hut collective in Vancouver. Mood Hut has been a primary platform for his work; he has released music on Mood Hut as well as on Proibito and on Rhythm Section. Under the Local Artist name he issued the album Expanding Horizons in 2022 on Rhythm Section. He also performs live and club sets across Vancouver and beyond under the Local Artist banner.

Outside of releases, Wyatt’s background includes technical and collaborative roles that shape his sound. He worked as a synthesizer technician at Intellijel, which gave him hands‑on experience with modular synthesis hardware. He is also a spatial sound artist and serves as a creative mentor at Lobe Studio. Before focusing on solo electronic work he was a member of the band No Gold. He continues to release sometimes as Slow Riffs in addition to material as Local Artist.

As a producer, Wyatt’s work shows a clear interest in synthesis and spatial processing. His technical résumé at Intellijel and his practice as a spatial sound artist inform production choices: modular and hard‑synth sources appear alongside careful stereo and spatial treatment in mixes. Tracks from Expanding Horizons demonstrate layered synth textures and attention to low‑end control, with sub and midrange bass design sitting under textural elements and rhythmic break programming.

In performance he presents live/club sets that combine produced tracks with on‑the‑fly synth manipulation and spatial routing. That setup lets him rework arrangements in a live context — adjusting filters, modulation and spatial placement — rather than simply DJing pre‑mixed material. This hands‑on approach aligns with his technician background and with the studio work he does mentoring other artists at Lobe Studio.

Career highlights that can be verified in public records include co‑founding the Mood Hut collective, releases on Mood Hut and Proibito, the 2022 album Expanding Horizons on Rhythm Section under the Local Artist name, prior membership in No Gold, work as a synthesizer technician at Intellijel, and his role as a spatial sound artist and creative mentor at Lobe Studio. He also issues music as Slow Riffs.

Public biographical detail beyond those credits is limited; Wyatt’s profile is best followed through Mood Hut and the releases credited to Local Artist and Slow Riffs, his 2022 album Expanding Horizons, and his ongoing activity at Lobe Studio and in Vancouver’s live circuit.