SEX & BORGORE

Don't judge a book by it's cover... Even if that cover happens to be camouflaged with naked women, debauchery, cake and other unidentifiable sticky substances. In the book of Borgore, while, yes, some of the pages might be stuck together and torn, the story inside is actually one that reveals a colorful, contradictory character with chapters that could hold odd titles such as 'The Family Man', 'Boobs and Booty for Borgore', 'Sax and Sex Prodigy', and 'Miley Cyrus'. While many may find it difficult to restrain themselves from judgement on Borgore's outrageous public persona, Borgore's only worried about one person's opinion.

"You know who's opinion I care about the most? My mom's," he tells us backstage at Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas.

And the opinion of Orli Borger, Borgore's Mom, who has been watching his performance with the air of extremely proud, adoring mother, is full support all the way.

"He's a genius! He's an amazing boy. He's brilliant, and very smart," beams Orli as she speaks of her son to DJ Mag USA backstage at Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas. She and the rest of Borgore's family, his father, brother and sister, have made the journey from Israel to be at his side during this pinnacle stint in Las Vegas during EDC week.

Asaf Borger, the 25-year old producer, DJ, songwriter, better known to the world as Borgore, is one of the only artists to have the honors of performing twice during Electric Daisy Carnival. One of those performances is on the Kinetic Field, the highly coveted main stage of EDC, on day one of the three day festival, and the second at the BassPod stage on night two.

"I'm from Israel and my family comes above everything," says Borgore with his family only a few steps away. "My mom is really proud of me. I haven't drunk for a couple of months, she's really proud. I'm on top of my game."

These special moments between Borgore and his family unfold just minutes after his second and final performance at the festival. Many Las Vegas gamblers would have bet on a much different scenario unfolding at the artist's trailer, probably one full of alcohol, drugs, and women. Since hashtags such as #borgwhore #bootyforborgore and #boobsforborgore are a common occurrence on the DJ's social media platforms, as well as female fans offerings of 'R' to 'X' rated photos of themselves, it's easy to make these assumptions. But, at this point and time, Borgore appears to be much more wholesome then womanizer. It seems as though Borgore, the shocking public Mr. Hyde persona, is only half of the man that Asaf is.

The beginning chapters of Borgore's life started very differently then many might expect. Before he became one of the world’s biggest dubstep DJs, Asaf formally trained as a jazz musician at Tel Aviv’s prestigious Thelma Yellin music academy, where he honed his craft as a saxophone prodigy. After serving as a fitness specialist in the Israeli army, Asaf returned to his musical roots but in a much more aggressive form, drumming for Shabira, a hardcore metal band he co-founded.

It was during a faithful trip to a Tel Aviv club, where Asaf was blasted into the world of U. K. dubstep, that his musical tastes would take a turn and inspire his new path. “The DJ was playing all the Croydon guys – Skream, Benga, Mala, Coki,” Borgore explains. “Hearing that was super life-changing; I loved drum and bass, trance and hip-hop, and dubstep brought all of that together! It made me feel something I’d never experienced before.”

He started making dubstep-influenced tracks immediately and coupled them with shocking music videos which he posted on the Internet - the Borgore brand immediately began to take off.

“I was like an early version of Rebecca Black or Kreayshawn,” Borgore recalls. “I started with MySpace, and then Facebook and YouTube – and I was doing bigger numbers than the big players. It was all viral so I knew I was doing something right.”

With his viral momentum behind him, Borgore began to push through to his new unprecedented success. His wildly popular 'Decisions' EP featured the title track with guest vocalist, and international superstar, Miley Cyrus. He also had chart topping success with tracks like 'Incredible', with co-producer Carnage, which reached #1 on Beatport, and his most recent EP, 'Legend', was released on his very own Buygore Records in at the end of June.

The first in a series with the second installment due out later this year, the 'Legend' EP showcases Borgore's talents, not only as a producer but as a songwriter and vocalist, such as on the eponymous title track. The EP also features 'That Lean', another co-production and duet with up-and-comer Carnage featuring dance-music siren Dev on vocals, and 'Kill Them All', an anthem featuring vocals from Israeli pop star and longtime Borgore friend Adi Ulmansky.

Borgore's musical success has led him to be featured on some of the world's biggest stages, including a main stage performance earlier this year at Ultra Music Festival, and he's currently on his #Turntlife Tour, which includes his high-profile performances at Electric daisy Carnival.

Stepping away from behind the deck, Borgore's first engagement during Electric Daisy Carnival week is at the second annual EDMbiz, a conference for electronic music professionals held at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in conjunction with EDC week.

"He's a dick. Write that down," DJ/producer Carnage jokes around with DJ Mag USA in the EDMbiz greenroom. Even in a business environment, Borgore's world is humorously slipping through the cracks. "Dude, what are you doing, man?" he laughs to his collaborator and friend's prank.

Within moments of this, Afrojack, who has met Borgore only minutes before taking the stage at the artist panel, dubs him, "the face of the next generations of dubstep and trap," in front of the crowd of 600 EDMbiz attendees. During the panel discussion, which also includes Dash Berlin and Dirty South, Borgore's truthful, yet playful, humor remains intact as the articulate artist answered questions about the current climate of EDM, being an artist and businessman, and his infamous social media reputation.

"I think we are in a weird situation right now. Three years ago we could define dubstep and house. Right now we are in a big blend. It's interesting. I feel that, right now, it's correct to call everything EDM because there are no more genres, it's just EDM," Borgore addresses the crowd on the mixing of genres in electronic music.

He also explains to the crowd that on a business front, "Everything that's boring, my parents do. I'd rather be an artist."

Eventually he speaks on the hot topic of his Twitter antics when radio DJ host Jason Bentley, who is moderating the panel, asks him about a fan that had recently requested via Twitter that Borgore have sex with her mom.

"She wanted it as a favor to her mom," Borgore responds nonchalantly as a roar of laughter erupts in the auditorium, "I love it. It's good times."

As the EDMbiz conference wraps up, it's time to shift focus back onto the decks for Borgore's sunrise, day one, closing set on Electric Daisy Carnival's Kinetic Field.

"I'm pissing my pants. I'm really excited, I'm really happy that Insomniac gave me the opportunity to be on the main stage," he tells us. "I'm going to have to hand out energy drinks into the crowd, I need to wake the crowd up. I'm worried people will be tired. They've been there all night. Imagine just standing up for that long, let alone dancing and partying."

There are no energy drinks necessary, however, when Borgore takes the stage at 4:30am. Wrapped in the wings of a 100-foot tall animated owl, which is surrounded by towering mushrooms, whimsical daisies and incredible high-tech production, he rocks the masses with his musical stylings that many have claimed, "ruined dubstep." There, on the mainstage, many could argue that he's actually saved dubstep.

Borgore's set opens with his hugely successful track 'Incredible', and continues to rock the crowds into the dawn with an assortment of tracks covering a spectrum of EDM genres including W&W's 'Thunder', Calvin Harris & Rihanna's mainstream hit 'We Found Love', Skrillex's 'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites' and Doctor P's 'Tetris'. The set also includes his own tracks including 'Legend', 'Decisions', and 'Nympho'.

"I've never experienced anything like this in my whole entire life. I don't know," a bewildered Borgore says as he tried to grasp for words that accurately describe his experience at Electric Daisy Carnival's Kinetic Field, "I had hormones in my body I've never had before. I cannot describe it, its like being on some fucked up drugs but I didn't take any fucked up drugs."

Borgore leaves the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the early morning hours only to return to the stage once again by nightfall. This time he's on the BassPod stage, which features dubstep and drum and bass artists.

"Playing the the main stage is like playing an away game and playing the BassPod is like playing a home game," says Borgore, "On the main stage I had to go from house and introduce them to dubstep, and at the BassPod I had to play dubstep and introduce them to house."

During his BassPod performance, the twist and turns of Borgore's universe reveal it's latest surprise as a fan proposes to his girlfriend on stage during the set. The planning for the love uniting moment s orchestrated with the help of Borgore, and is done especially for the bride-to-be who, naturally, has Borgore's name on a brightly colored cupcake tattooed, where else, but her ass. She and her new fiancé are more than happy to display her cakes to anyone that asks as proof of how big a fan she really is. The strangely romantic gesture proudly has Borgore's dysfunctional imprint all over it.

As the final moments of Borgore's Electric Daisy Carnival domination are drawing to a close, the artist begins to eye the future.

"I'm so excited for everything that coming up. I have so many new tracks with artists like Steve Aoki and W&W. Also artist that are going to blow up in a few months, like Luke & Skywalker," he reveals.

And as for himself, Borgore shows no signs of stopping and slowing down. "I'm going to bring the future of music," he signs off with a glint. 

This article originally appeared in DJ Mag USA. Read it free HERE.