A surprise album from Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard!

Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard have a surprise in store with the release of Past Time Shadow this Friday, August 28, a brand-new album recorded as a duo. Following When They Ring Them Golden Bells, When Shadows Fall and Taking the Good with the Bad, the two Danish musicians continue a collaboration spanning more than three decades.

Used to sharing the stage as part of Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard continue a well-established duo partnership with Past Time Shadow. Guitar, piano and the instantly recognizable voice of Thorbjørn Risager are all they need here to explore a musical world blending blues, roots, boogie-woogie and gospel.

A long history together

The musical partnership between Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard goes back more than thirty years. The two musicians were already playing together in Rad Gumbo, a blues and funk band inspired by the sounds of New Orleans, before continuing their musical journey together.

Their work as a duo has already produced several albums: When They Ring Them Golden Bells in 2014, When Shadows Fall in 2018, followed by Taking the Good with the Bad in 2021. Past Time Shadow therefore adds a new chapter to an already well-established recording partnership.

Past Time Shadow follows naturally in the footsteps of this long shared history. The album draws on several strands of American roots music, from blues and boogie-woogie to gospel, while giving the musical dialogue between the two musicians plenty of room to breathe. The intimate setting brings their playing, silences and nuances to the forefront.

“When you strip everything away and it’s just the two of us in the studio, something very special happens. The songs get room to breathe differently, and you can hear every little nuance.”

With this new album, Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard return to a format they know well, away from the full power of The Black Tornado, while adding another chapter to a musical partnership they have pursued alongside the band for many years.

The duo heads back to the stage

This new chapter in their collaboration will also make its way to the stage. Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard will soon hit the road to present their new repertoire with a series of concerts in Denmark and Sweden.

Past Time Shadow is available from Friday, August 28 on all major streaming platforms and on vinyl.