| Second Light | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 May 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Studio | Dubby Road Studios, West London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:29 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Dreadzone | |||
| Dreadzone chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Nonsuch | ||||
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Second Light (subtitled An Original Dreadzone Sound Adventure) is the second album by the British band Dreadzone. It was released on Virgin Records in May 1995 as their first album on the label and their follow-up to 360° (1993). The record mixes the group's distinctive blend of dub music, electronic instrumentation and sampling with a wider array of styles, such as Celtic music, Indian music and poetry, a result of the group conceiving the album as a representation and celebration of modern multicultural Britain. They were inspired by the films of Michael Powell and the Festival of Britain era.
Upon release, the album reached number 37 on the UK Albums Chart, and is the band's most successful release to date. Four of its singles reached the UK Singles Chart, including lead single "Zion Youth" and Top 20 hit "Little Britain". The supporting tour featured guest vocalist Earl Sixteen, who appears on the album, and attracted a following of crusties. The album received critical acclaim, and journalists highlighted the record's disparate influences. Six of the album's tracks appeared in the 1995 Festive Fifty, and the poll's organiser John Peel named Second Light his 12th favourite album ever in 1997. A deluxe edition of Second Light, including a bonus disc of extra material, was released by EMI in March 2012.