Slushii Fights Copyright Battle for Viral Remix of “Past Lives” Under sapientdream Alias

On the heels of a rights management battle, Slushii teams Up with Spirit Link for “I Tried It.”

If you have been on TikTok at any point this past year, you have probably heard an ambient remix of BØRNS’ “Past Lives.” Originally posted to SoundCloud by Slushii under his sapientdream alias, the remix unexpectedly went viral.

sapientdream acts as Slushii’s more ambient and experimental moniker. When he uploaded the bootlegged remix of BØRNS’ “Past Lives,” he seemingly forgot about it. Slushii had no intentions of monetizing the remix as he released it for free and never received permission from BØRNS to sample it. Even though he had no plans to monetize it, others felt differently.

Months after being uploaded, the sapientdream “Past Lives” found its way onto Spotify, but Slushii did not upload it. “Past Lives” was ripped off of YouTube and was distributed to Spotify, breaking BØRNS copyright. While the remix amassed global attention (40 million daily views on YouTube, 140 million cumulative streams on Spotify, and more than 2 billion views on TikTok), Slushii found himself in a tumultuous copyright battle.

Working with record label Trap Nation, Slushii started the complex task of reclaiming copyright. They did this by “matching all versions of the track across the internet and issuing takedown requests.” Despite this, it was not the end of their fight. Since the remix used BØRNS’ voice as a sample, Slushii had to re-record the “Past Lives” vocals to monetize it. Eventually, after a long and slow copyright battle, Slushii released “Past Lives” and has since moved on from his viral hit.

Over the past two years, Slushii has been exploring commercial music and hip-hop, but he is ready to return to his roots. Known for his genre-defining club records, Slushii marks his return with a new single, “I Tried It.” In collaboration with upcoming producer SPIRIT LINK, “I Tried It” is out October 6 and will be the first of their forthcoming releases.

After the unexpected success of “Past Lives,” Slushii went through a wild rights management battle that ended up with him on top. Since “Past Lives,” Slushii teamed up with SPIRIT LINK to deliver “I Tried It,” their first of many releases. With plans to launch his own label, “I Tried It” is Slushii’s statement of intent and a precursor for what’s to come.