Jam City’s “Pure Vice” Is the Late-Night Electronic Pop Fix You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’ve been tracking electronic music over the last decade or so, the name Jam City probably conjures up a few different eras. Some folks remember Jack Latham for the icy, skeletal club blueprints of his early material, like Classical Curves. Others know him as the go-to collaborator and producer helping shape the sound of modern pop and R&B, working alongside heavy hitters like Kelela, Olivia Rodrigo, and Troye Sivan.

Over the past few years, though, Latham has carved out a fascinating middle ground. He’s leaning hard into an expansive, nocturnal strain of pop music that still carries the DNA of UK club culture, garage, and sultry late-night R&B.

Nowhere is that balance more apparent than on “Pure Vice”, a standout cut from his album My World (released via Mad Decent). Featuring gorgeous vocal contributions from Sølv and Aidan, this track is an absolute masterclass in mood, texture, and understated catchiness. If your rotation has been feeling a little stale lately, this is the exact breath of fresh air—or smoke-filled club air—that you need.

Deconstructing “Pure Vice”: What Makes It Work?

From the moment you press play, “Pure Vice” doesn’t scream for your attention; it pulls you in. It has that rare kind of production that works just as well through high-end studio monitors as it does bouncing through the auxiliary speakers of a car at 2:00 AM.

Latham’s production style here avoids the over-compressed, loud-for-the-sake-of-it trap that so many modern pop tracks fall into. Instead, he leaves room to breathe.

• Lush, Cinematic Soundscapes: The synths shimmer right at the edge of your peripheral hearing, wrapping around a subtle, rhythmic backbone that nods to UK garage without feeling retro or derivative.

• Vocal Chemistry: Sølv and Aidan don’t just sing over the beat; they weave through it. Their vocal delivery is effortless, sultry, and slightly detached in that cool, contemporary way that makes indie-pop and underground R&B so magnetic right now.

• The Emotional Weight: While it’s slick enough for a runway or a late-night playlist, there’s a distinct undercurrent of melancholy. Lines like “Give me a chance and just ride, baby…” lean heavily into themes of temptation, late-night impulse, and modern romance.

Where “Pure Vice” Fits Into the My World Era

To truly understand “Pure Vice,” you have to look at the broader picture of My World. Released on Mad Decent, the album finds Jam City building on the momentum of his previous work like EFM, stepping further into a space where traditional pop songwriting structures collide with experimental electronic textures.

Throughout My World, Latham collaborates with a tight-knit roster of artists—including names like Bawo, Ox Eye, Hannah Yadi, and Luna Avelar alongside Aidan and Sølv. But “Pure Vice” feels like a crucial anchor point for the record. It captures the album’s thesis statement: electronic music doesn’t have to choose between being emotionally resonant and being deeply rhythmic. It can—and should—be both.

For fans who have followed Latham’s twists and turns over the years, My World feels like an artist completely comfortable in his own skin. He isn’t trying to recreate the underground club hits of his past, nor is he chasing mainstream radio trends blindly. He’s bending pop music to fit his own singular vision.

Why You Need It on Your Playlist Right Now

Whether you’re updating your late-night driving playlist, looking for something moody to soundtrack a walk through the city, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve with modern electronic-pop crossovers, “Pure Vice” deserves a spot at the top of your queue.

It’s the kind of song that reveals new little production details—a hidden vocal harmony, a panning synth line, a subtle percussion shift—with every single listen.