Mikaelin 'Blue' Bluespruce
Mikaelin ‘Blue’ BlueSpruce, is a multi-Grammy award-winning mix engineer and record producer based in New York City. He has mixed Billboard #1 songs and albums in Pop, R&B, Rap and Gospel, and his mixes have gone #1 on the charts in over 90 countries.
With a career that stretches back more than 15 years, he has gained recognition for recording and mixing songs and albums for a plethora of artists in various music genres, such as Solange, Mariah Carey, Blood Orange, Skepta, Carly Rae Jepsen and Lin-Manuel Miranda. In 2024 Blue received a Latin Grammy for his work with legendary Mexican singer Julieta Venegas, as well as the #1 Rap album in the US working with K-Pop superstar RM of the world famous group BTS.
Originally from Seattle, where Blue was a DJ in high school, he began his career interning at Jay-Z & Just Blaze's Baseline studios and freelancing at studios like Quad and Sony after graduating with Honors from NYU's program for Music Technology. After graduating, Blue joined Lounge Studios – an 11-room recording studio that served as the East Coast recording Studio Headquarters for Atlantic Records and Warner Chappelle. Through his relentless drive and passion for refining his sound and craft, Blue became Lounge Studio's Head Engineer.
Blue was the primary recording engineer, and mixing engineer for Solange's critically acclaimed album A Seat At The Table (2016), as well as When I Get Home (2019) and True (2012). A Seat At The Table was widely hailed by critics and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. The lead single, “Cranes in the Sky,” was awarded a Grammy for “Best R&B Performance.” Blue traveled extensively during the recording process of both A Seat At The Table and When I Get Home – recording in New Orleans, Texas, Los Angeles, Jamaica and Ghana – often setting up a studio in rented homes and other unique locations. A Seat at The Table was named “Album of the Decade” by Noisey and was listed on Apple Music's “Top 100 Albums of All Time”
In 2016, Blue worked on The Hamilton Mixtape, a remixed soundtrack for Tony-award winning Broadway musical Hamilton. For this album Blue mixed songs for Hip Hop legends Nas, Common & Black Thought, as well as singer Aloe Blacc and Hamilton creator and writer, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The mixtape debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Style-wise, Blue does not fit into one category – rather he brings his brand, technique and sound to an artist's genre. Throughout his discography, Blue seamlessly transitions from R&B to Hip Hop, Pop, Gospel and Rock. Blue's sonic trademark can be heard on any song he works on, making it impactful while ensuring it has the needed warm sound and melody. His genre-defying distinct aesthetic in sound and feel is Blue's unique fingerprint in mixing and producing and why he has become sought after by established and emerging artists.