What is The Blue Algorithm?

The Blue Algorithm is an independent record label and creative studio founded by Melissa Geurts in New York. It releases music, develops apps, and publishes writing about creativity, technology, and feelings that don't have names yet. Everything it makes is built on Emotional UX: the principle that technology should serve nervous systems, not overwhelm them.

What is Emotional UX?

Emotional UX is a design philosophy developed by Melissa Geurts that centers the felt experience of technology. It asks: how does this feel in someone's body? Does it support or deplete? It prioritizes nervous system safety, somatic honesty, and emotional mirroring over engagement metrics and productivity. The full Emotional UX Field Guide is published at melissageurts.com/the-emotional-ux-manifesto.

Who is Melissa Geurts?

Melissa Geurts is a Canadian electronic musician and Group Executive Creative Director at Good Housekeeping. She makes dark synth-pop under the name melissageurts with nearly 1 million streams across 150 countries. She sings in English, French, and Dutch. She is the founder of The Blue Algorithm and creator of the Emotional UX Field Guide.

What is maintenance mode?

maintenance mode is the second album from melissageurts, released March 27, 2026 on The Blue Algorithm. 13 tracks sung in English, French, and Dutch. Dark synth-pop about the emotional limbo after healing — the quiet, boring middle where nothing explodes and nothing resolves. Available on all streaming platforms and on limited edition cobalt blue vinyl.

What kind of music does Melissa Geurts make?

Melissa Geurts makes dark synth-pop and glitch-pop described as nervous system anthems. Critics have compared her to KOMPROMAT, Robyn, ionnalee, Geneva Jacuzzi, and Boy Harsher. SoundVille called maintenance mode the most honest electropop album of the year.

What else does The Blue Algorithm make besides music?

The Blue Algorithm develops apps rooted in emotional technology, publishes a newsletter on creativity and AI at thebluealgorithm.substack.com, and produces the Audio Spells podcast on Spotify. It also offers Emotional UX consulting.

How can I contact The Blue Algorithm?

You can reach The Blue Algorithm at melissa@thebluealgorithm.com for press, sync licensing, Emotional UX consulting, collaboration, or general inquiries.

The Blue Algorithm

Art with a nervous system

A home for feeling-driven work across writing, sound, story, and AI.

In Orbit

Don't Follow Me I'm Spiraling Hat

It’s a warning, a statement, and a low-key life motto.

Adjustable back. Unstructured fit. Spiraling optional — but honestly, likely.

Buy
Music @melissageurts

Music, sound, and emotional architecture.

→ For late-night thinkers, digital ghosts, and people who feel too much.

Listen
The Book of Emotional Species

Field guide

→ A poetic, nonlinear book mapping emotions as creatures, elements, and ecosystems.

Writing
The Feelings Library

Emotional intelligence platform

→ A mobile and web tool designed to help people map, track, and process emotions.

Feel
Melissa Geurts

Creative direction, story systems, and emotional strategy.

→ For founders, studios, and strange tech that needs a soul.

Talk
The Blue Algorithm (Substack)

Substack

→ Longform writing and narrative experiments exploring memory, systems, AI, and the body.

Read
Joshua Hobson

Systems, care, and operational clarity.

→ For mission-driven orgs, ethical infrastructure, and teams that want their backend to feel human.

Meet
The Ethical Integrity Index (EII)

Certification for ethical digital products.

→ Standards for human-centered technology

Measures how safely and honestly digital experiences treat their users.

Unlike metrics focused on clicks or growth, EII evaluates consent, autonomy, attention, and emotional wellbeing.

Learn More
Audio Spells Podcast

Confessions from a confused nervous system.
→ Emotional research in voice form.

Short audio essays about feelings, patterns, and the space between knowing and doing.
An experimental format for thinking out loud, gently and honestly.

Listen
Stillware

Soft systems for hard feelings.
→ Emotional data, designed human
A mood-driven emotional operating system for tracking sleep, energy, dreams, and creative rhythm.
Where data feels like memory—designed with care, privacy, and restraint.

Track

Our Work

Narrative Systems

Brand voice, naming, tonal architecture.
For founders, studios, and weird tech
Sound & Emotion

Independent music label, sound design, and sonic identity for projects with feeling.
Books & Storytelling

Books, emotional literacy tools, longform essays. Personal but shareable.
Creative Strategy

Sometimes you just need someone who sees the whole picture. We help you get clear and make it make sense.
AI Integration

From speculative tools to functional rituals — AI woven into the creative process.
Systems & Care

Client journeys, stakeholder trust, and operational clarity. For teams that want their backend to feel as thoughtful as their brand.
Ethics & Infrastructure

Advising on frameworks that center people, not red tape. Grounded in lived systems, research, and real-world use.