Taken

There is something immediately attention grabbing about Taken, he latest track from Electron featuring Skindred frontman Benji Webbe. Rather than treating the collaboration as a simple guest appearance designed to add a recognisable name to the credits, Electron builds a track where the meeting of two distinct vocal and musical personalities actually feels like the point. It is energetic without becoming chaotic, heavy without losing its sense of accessibility and carries a strong alternative edge throughout. Most importantly, it sounds like a collaboration that has been constructed with a clear understanding of what each artist can bring to the table.

From the opening moments, Taken establishes a confident atmosphere. There is a polished, modern production behind it but Electron doesn’t overcomplicate the introduction. The instrumental has enough movement to immediately pull the listener in, while leaving plenty of space for the vocals to become the focal point. That sense of space is important because, once the vocals arrive, the track starts to reveal its real character. There is a definite sense that Electron is aiming for something bigger than a straightforward rock track, with electronic textures and rhythmic elements helping give the song its own identity.

The groove is arguably one of the strongest elements of Taken, The track has a natural forward momentum that makes it feel immediately playable, rather than something that requires several listens before its rhythm starts to make sense. The drums and low end work together particularly well, providing a foundation that keeps the track moving while allowing the guitars and electronic elements to add colour around it. There is a satisfying weight to the production, but it isn’t so compressed or overly aggressive that everything begins to blur together.

That balance becomes especially effective as the arrangement develops. Taken understands the importance of contrast. The quieter or more restrained moments give the larger sections something to build towards, while the bigger passages feel genuinely expansive as a result. Rather than simply throwing everything into the mix from the first second, Electron allows the track to breathe before gradually increasing its intensity. It gives the song a sense of progression, which is something that can sometimes be missing from modern alternative releases that are built almost entirely around getting to the hook as quickly as possible.

Vocally, the collaboration is where things become particularly interesting. Electron’s vocal presence provides the track with its central identity, while Benji Webbe brings that unmistakable character that has made his voice such a recognisable part of the British alternative and reggae rock landscape. Benji doesn’t sound like he’s simply been dropped into somebody else’s song. His contribution has its own personality and gives the track an additional layer of attitude.

That is perhaps the biggest success of the feature. Benji’s voice naturally carries a certain swagger and rhythmic quality, and Taken gives him enough room to make use of that. His delivery adds a different texture to the song without completely changing what Electron has established. There is a noticeable contrast between the vocal approaches, but rather than feeling disjointed, it gives the track another dimension. The feature effectively becomes a conversation between two different styles.

There is also a nice sense of restraint in the vocal production. The voices are clearly treated and polished for a modern release, but they retain enough character to avoid feeling completely sanitised. That matters particularly with a vocalist like Benji, whose appeal comes partly from the personality in his delivery. His voice needs to sound like him and the production allows that to come through.

Instrumentally, Taken sits in an interesting space. It has enough rock and alternative weight to appeal to listeners coming from a heavier background but the electronic production and rhythmic focus prevent it from settling comfortably into one genre. There are moments where the track feels particularly heavy, followed by sections where the emphasis shifts towards atmosphere and melody. That fluidity gives it a broader appeal without making it feel like it has been deliberately designed to tick several genre boxes.

The guitars are especially effective when they are used as part of the overall texture rather than simply dominating the mix. They provide the necessary bite and aggression, but Electron understands that the electronic elements are just as important to the identity of the track. The result is a production where the different components complement one another instead of fighting for attention.

The bass deserves credit here too. There is a solid low end presence running through the track and it gives the heavier sections genuine physicality. Taken isn’t just a song that sounds energetic, it has enough low frequency weight to make the rhythm feel important. That becomes particularly effective when the arrangement opens up and the drums, bass and guitars lock together.

Structurally, the song is well paced. At just over three minutes, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, but it also doesn’t feel rushed. The different sections have enough room to establish themselves and the track continually gives the listener another reason to remain engaged. The transitions are smooth, with each part feeding naturally into what follows rather than feeling like a series of disconnected ideas.

The chorus is naturally one of the most important components, and this is where the track’s accessibility becomes particularly obvious. There is a clear emphasis on memorability without sacrificing the darker edge that runs through the rest of the production. It has the sort of quality that could work equally well through headphones, on a playlist or in a live environment and that versatility is a real strength.

There is also a particularly strong sense of atmosphere running underneath the song. Taken isn’t relentlessly aggressive instead, it creates a mood and then allows the heavier moments to emerge from it. That makes the track feel more dynamic than if it had simply maintained the same intensity throughout. The production has enough detail that repeated listens should reveal small elements that aren’t necessarily obvious on the first pass.

Lyrically, the song carries an emotional weight that fits the darker tone of the instrumentation. The central idea of feeling taken, consumed or pulled into something gives the track a sense of vulnerability underneath its more confident exterior. That contrast works well because the music doesn’t simply tell the listener how to feel. Instead, the atmosphere leaves enough room for the subject matter to carry its own emotional interpretation.

What makes Taken particularly successful, though, is that it never feels like Electron is attempting to imitate Skindred simply because Benji Webbe is involved. That could have been an easy trap for a collaboration like this. Instead, the track retains Electron’s own identity while using Benji as an additional colour within the arrangement. That’s exactly what a good guest appearance should accomplish.

There is a genuine feeling of crossover potential here too. The track sits comfortably between alternative rock, heavier modern production and electronic music, while Benji’s presence adds another layer of rhythmic character. It isn’t so genre specific that it excludes casual listeners but there is enough substance in the arrangement for listeners from heavier scenes to find plenty to enjoy.

From a production standpoint, Taken sounds finished and deliberate. Everything has its place and the track has the kind of polish expected from a contemporary release without losing the rawer qualities that give it personality. The drums hit with purpose, the low end remains substantial, the guitars provide the necessary aggression and the electronic components help glue the whole thing together. Most importantly, the vocals remain prominent throughout, ensuring that the song’s personality isn’t buried underneath the instrumentation.

The Benji Webbe feature is ultimately the element that gives Taken an extra point of distinction. His appearance isn’t merely a headline grabbing addition to the song title. His delivery genuinely changes the texture of the track and provides a welcome contrast to Electron’s approach. It feels like the sort of collaboration where both sides have brought something to the table rather than one artist simply appearing for a few seconds before disappearing again.

Taken also demonstrates that Electron understands the value of simplicity. There are plenty of production details here, but the song itself never becomes unnecessarily complicated. The central groove, vocal performances and recurring hooks remain the focus, while the additional layers exist to strengthen those foundations. That is often harder to achieve than throwing endless ideas into a track, and it gives Taken a considerably more confident feel.

If there is one thing that stands out most after listening to the full track, it is its balance. Electron manages to combine electronic production, alternative heaviness, melody and Benji Webbe’s unmistakable vocal personality without allowing any one element to completely dominate. The track has enough aggression to satisfy heavier listeners, enough melody to remain accessible and enough rhythmic character to give it an identity beyond conventional alternative rock.

Ultimately, Taken is a strong example of what can happen when a collaboration is built around complementary strengths rather than simply putting two names together. Electron provides the modern, atmospheric and weighty foundation, while Benji Webbe brings additional attitude, character and rhythmic flavour. The result is a track that feels contemporary but still carries plenty of personality.

For me, the biggest compliment I can give Taken is that it doesn’t feel like a novelty collaboration. It feels like a proper song first and a collaboration second. Benji’s involvement undoubtedly gives it an extra selling point, but the track would still have a strong identity without his name attached to it. With him included, however, it becomes considerably more distinctive.

Taken is energetic, polished and atmospheric, with enough heaviness to give it bite and enough accessibility to reach beyond a single scene. Electron has created a track that knows exactly what it wants to sound like, while Benji Webbe’s contribution gives it that extra injection of personality that elevates the whole thing.

A confident, genre blurring collaboration with a seriously infectious groove and a feature that genuinely adds something to the song. Taken is a track that deserves to be heard well beyond the novelty of seeing Benji Webbe’s name attached to it.