Wes Smith is a music industry veteran who - at one time or another -has worked in every section of the music industry.

It all started Grade 11 waaaaay back in 1984 - when Wes formed a synth pop/ New Wave band called The Institution with fellow high school classmates. In 1985, Wes received a grant from the Alberta government to professionally record and manufacture a single. This was his first venture into a professional recording studio - where 2 songs were recorded and subsequently independently released - which sold almost 1800 copies in the Edmonton area. 

After graduating in 1986, Wes attended both UBC AND the Trebas Institute of Recording Arts’ 2 year Record Producer program. During this time, he started producing local bands during discounted down time at various recording studios. He also interned at studios such all Blue Wave, Ocean Pacific, Mushroom, and Little Mountain Sound. He also started putting on shows at venues such as the Town Pump, The Venue, The Savoy, the Luv A Fair, Graceland, and the Railway Club. He also worked as an assistant manager (then eventually Manager) at downtown A&A Records locations (incl the Granville flagship store) - and eventually moving to manage Warehouse Records on Granville Street.

In late 2000, We moved to Nagoya Japan - where he started producing Japanese indie rock artists. This eventually led to a number of opportunities - and a move to Tokyo -that included many more producing gigs, putting on tours for international bands touring Japan, tour managing other artists, starting a record label that eventually released over 600 albums in a decade, producing a music-based TV magazine that ran for one season, writing for music magazines(NME, Exclaim, Interview, Q, Select, etc), and starting his own national monthly music magazine (JUICE) which published for over 20 years. He also put on a massive music festival in Tokyo in October 2000 (ROCKTOBER) with over 18,000 attendees.

During this time, Wes also managed several Japanese bands and also participated in tours of Australia, New Zealand, and The United States.

Throughout this period Wes produced artists for his own label, and for international and Japanese indie and major labels.

After returning to Canada at the end of 2003, Wes took some time off to adapt to living in Canada again. Eventually, Wes started producing local artists. 

In 2024, Wes started ROGUE PLANET as a concert promotion company - putting on concerts in Victoria, Nanaimo, and the Comox area (and occasionally Vancouver). Artist included international and Canadian touring bands. In 2016, Rogue Planet put on the largest ever summer event with over 3200 attendees.

As covid hit in 2020, Wes transitioned Rogue Planet into a record label and artist management company.

in late 2024, Wes purchased a recording studio with Justin Hicks (whom he had worked with at Justin’s former studio for the previous 6 years) and IDIO SOUND LAB was born. 

In addition to all the activities mentioned above - Wes has also directed several music videos, designed album covers, is a music photographer, has been (but is currently not) a blogger. He has directed several music videos. He is also an actor and has appeared in small parts in several TV series and movies. Wes and his cat Gumpo were also featured in a TV series called Battle Cats in 2014/2015.

Back to working as a record producer, Wes Smith has produced more than 250 artists over his career from album projects to EPs to singles to demos that (unfortunately) never got released. Wes enjoys exploring different genres and has produced hip hop, funk, jazz, indie rock, grunge, punk rock, pop, bluegrass, and trip hop. 

Over the past few years he has worked with artists as diverse as ALPHA CENTAURI, Art Bergmann, JR Atlas, Elise Boulanger, KING JOY (Los Angeles) , Star Maps. and 3 Steeps Ahead (London, UK) and many more.

Wes has lined up numerous artists to work with in 2025 including more music from Alpha Centauri, Elise Boulanger, and JR Atlas and several new and several established artists. Stay tuned…..