christopher rye is frontman and lead guitarist of Brighton rock band, Space Angel, alongside Allan Wiseman (bass, additional guitar, vocals), AC Keys (Alfonso Cavassa, keyboards, vocals), and Fabio Sclafani (drums).
Space Angel blends the ambient, space-rock sounds of 70s Pink Floyd with big beats, Beatles-like melodies, Roxy-style electronics, and a touch of Bowie. christopher writes many of the songs, with others contributed by Allan Wiseman and AC Keys. Live, the band recall the heady days of 70s Floyd, with smoke, lasers, and theatrics.
Check out the band’s new website.
DIVE!: the new album
Space Angel’s second album, ‘DIVE!’, will be released on 5 June 2025.
The 13-song collection is produced by christopher rye and was recorded at Brighton Road Recording Studios (live band sessions) and at christopher’s The Disreputable Gentleman’s Club (vocals and guitar/keyboard overdubs).
The full track listing is: Conquistador; The Wolves of Reigate; Something on the Motorway (single); I Could Be Loved (single); In This World; There; Abyssinia Sometime (single); Autumn is Turning to Gold; (Looks Like) Angels (bonus single); Break My Chains; Forgiving is Easy (single); The 300 Days of January (single); and Sometimes the Sea Wants the City.
The album will be available digitally, and on a limited-edition blue vinyl-style CD, with a gorgeous gatefold cover, designed by christopher.
• The album’s title was suggested by songwriter Jordan Rakei at an in-store event at Resident, Brighton, when christopher challenged him to come up with a title for a new project. And the album cover, a digital painting by christopher, is based on a photograph of Brighton by Tim Burgess of the Charlatans.
Follow the band on:
Spotify
Soundcloud
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
You Are Next: the debut album
The band’s debut album, ‘You Are Next’, was released on 8 September 2023, featuring 10 of the band’s catalogue (of 35 songs to date), including lead single ‘Kites (for Joanna)’. It was the first release on christopher’s A Disreputable Gentleman label (aka DisRep). Find the LP on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon.
Space Angel in 2024-25
The band gigged around Brighton in 2024, including a sellout 90-minute set at Brighton Electric’s Studio 45 venue – featuring the band’s full lightshow, smoke machines, lasers, and masks – and a gig with local tyros The EMC.
Space Angel will return to the stage in June 2025 to launch the new album.
Version 1.0 of Space Angel featured Jordan Bedeau on drums and Harvey Mitchell on bass, but broke up when the pandemic made it impossible to continue. They appear in the band’s early ‘onstage’ videos, and remain friends with the current line-up.
Videos
Space Angel live onstage
