In 2017, a bright orange-haired NEOCAMP was living in New York City and actively performing in nightlife as a famous fixture of the Susanne Bartsch club scene. The queer performer’s debut album, Content, criticized the “barter system” of exposure for indie artists like himself on digital platforms, while singing with a traditional Irish lilt over experimental electronica. The modern-day “currency of cool,” as he described it then on the project, ultimately became an exhausting cycle, so NEOCAMP moved to Berlin in order to escape the endless hustle of NYC.

Since then, NEOCAMP has given himself more time “to just exist,” while dipping into the possibilities of his own creativity: painting, drawing, reading and even creating an alter ego in porn. The aftermath of that self-exploration is a recent return to music, which he says was especially motivated by the Eurovision Song Contest. “After watching [Eurovision] the last couple of years, it sparked so much queer joy that I decided maybe I could represent my country, Ireland, in 2025,” NEOCAMP says. “It triggered a huge creative outpouring of songs that were bubbling under.”

Among those is “inch by inch,” an oddball single about NEOCAMP’s dysfunctional relationships where there were issues around “gaslighting and manipulation.” He sings, yet again, with an Irish lilt throughout the “fun, seductive pop song” that’s paired with an American Psycho-inspired music video, premiering today on PAPER. NEOCAMP embodies the film’s iconic protagonist Patrick Bateman, dancing bloodied among “generic modernist urbanist” buildings in central Berlin. “He is the ultimate pop culture icon of capitalism,” NEOCAMP says of Bateman, building off the song’s core themes of control.

You were integral to New York City culture for quite some time and have since relocated to Berlin. What have you been working on since leaving NYC? Did you take a creative break?

When I left New York I was burnt out. Moving to Berlin has definitely given me more time to just exist and take a little more time for myself to experiment, paint, draw and read — which is the opposite of being a creative in New York where you are often hustling non-stop. During COVID, I started another alter ego for fun and some extra coin, and it snowballed into a whole porn career — but that’s a whole other story.

How has the move affected your creative approach today?

There are pros and cons to both, but in hindsight I think having that little bit of time to be more in touch with myself is helpful for being a little more thoughtful and sustainable in my work. Hustling is great when your livelihood doesn’t depend on it. There is also an incredible culture of art being discussed seriously in Berlin by everyone, which keeps me on my toes — and, obviously, it’s a hub for some mind-blowing electronic music.

What do you remember most about the years living in NYC? The nightlife, the performances…

New York is where I came of age, and where I found my voice and an audience. American individualism is personified in NYC nightlife. I was totally captivated by the individuality, personality and overall cuntiness. I started off making music intending to be anonymous and some of the girls were just like, “No girl, we are putting you on a stage,” and I never looked back. There is just a general positivity around people standing out and taking chances in New York that is unfortunately sometimes lacking in Europe. I may yet return to NYC, but I’m happy here for now.

What sparked your desire to return to music?

To be honest, the Eurovision. I’ve always been so inspired by these acts from different countries repackaging elements of their culture into these bitesized pop moments. After watching it the last couple of years, it sparked so much queer joy that I decided maybe I could represent my country, Ireland, in 2025. That was the original spark to get back in the game, but it triggered a huge creative outpouring of songs that were bubbling under.

What is “Inch by Inch” about, thematically?

The song was inspired by experiences in dysfunctional relationships I’ve had where there were issues around control, gaslighting and manipulation. And pop being this kind of manipulative, commercialized folk music of the now, I was interested in turning these ideas on their head by playing the role of the manipulator and making it a fun, seductive pop song. The Irish lilt used throughout is a little nod to the vocal folk tradition of where I am from.

How does the American Psycho reference in your music video amplify these ideas?

For the video, I wanted to embody this controlling manipulator, and the cool, cartoonish psychopathy of Patrick Batemen from American Psycho seemed perfect. I think he is the ultimate pop culture icon of capitalism. I wanted to place him in front of these generic modernist urbanist buildings around central Berlin. These buildings were all built in the ’90s in the old No-Mans Land where the Berlin Wall was before. The dream of the end of the 20th Century, that history was over, was concreted over by corporate power. So I wanted this character to be fully mask-off, dancing bloodied in the future we all now live in.

When you look back on Content, now seven years old, what’s your perspective on that project?

Content was really important to me as an artist. It was a concept album and three-part film. I was commenting on the struggles of being an independent artist and your work being reduced to “content,” which has only become more pertinent in the years since. Now everyone is a content producer. Ironically, I was never able to publish Content online. However, I am now happily producing whatever this content is to get into your users’ eyeballs.

American individualism is personified in NYC nightlife. I was totally captivated by the individuality, personality and overall cuntiness.

Photography: Kiernan Cobarrubia