THORBJØRN RISAGER & EMIL BALSGÅRD DUO
New ‘surprise’ album out now!
Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard dive into their roots on new duo album and embark on Scandinavian tour
Thorbjørn Risager and his musical partner of 30 years, pianist Emil Balsgaard, are ready with a new collaborative album.
The release is titled ‘Past Time Shadow’ and will be out on Friday, August 28, 2026. The album marks an intimate and brutally honest chapter in the duo’s long-running partnership, and the release will be followed by a tour in both Denmark and Sweden.
While they usually rock stages at home and abroad with the high-energy, 7-piece powerhouse Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, they are unplugging for ‘Past Time Shadow’.
The album is stripped down to the absolute essence: a guitar, a piano, and one of Europe’s most powerful blues voices.
A journey through music history and their own back catalog
The title ‘Past Time Shadow’ refers to the echoes and shadows of the past that form the foundation of the duo’s musical DNA. The album offers a raw and intimate blend of roots, blues, boogie-woogie, and elements of gospel. The listener is invited into an intimate universe where the tracks are delivered with the nerve and energy that can only be built through three decades of close friendship and thousands of hours on the road.
“When we strip everything down to the bone and it’s just the two of us in the studio, a very special magic happens. The songs get room to breathe in a different way, and you can hear every single little nuance and breath,” says Thorbjørn Risager.
Intimate concert experiences ahead
Following the album release, the duo will pack up their instruments and hit the road to present the new material live. The tour will take them to a selection of venues across Denmark and Sweden, where audiences can look forward to unique and intense concert experiences up close with the musicians.
‘Past Time Shadow’ will be released on August 28, 2026, and will be available on all streaming platforms as well as on vinyl right here!
Tracklist:
- I GOT A FEELING (Thorbjørn Risager)
- OLD HEARTACHE (Thorbjørn Risager)
- COPENHAGEN WINTER (Thorbjørn Risager)
- SOMETHING HOLDING ME BACK (Thorbjørn Risager)
- KIDNEY STEW (Eddie Vinson, Leona Blackman)
- HESITATION BLUES (Trad)
- REGRESSION RAG (Paul Banks)
- YOU’LL GET YOURS (Thorbjørn Risager)
- PAST TIME SHADOW (Thorbjørn Risager)
- BUCKETS OF RAIN (Bob Dylan)
VOCALS AND GUITARS BY THORBJØRN RISAGER
PIANO, WURLITZER, ORGAN, CLAVINET, KEYS, STOMPBOX BY EMIL BALSGAARD
RECORDING, MIX & MASTERING BY SØREN BØJGAARD
ALSO APPEARING:
MARTIN SEIDELIN: DRUMS ON I’LL BE YOURS AND KIDNEY STEW PERCUSSION ON REGRESSION RAG
SØREN BØJGAARD: BASS
HANS NYBO: SAXOPHONE ON KIDNEY STEW
JOACHIM SVENSMARK: GUITAR ON PAST TIME SHADOW
JARNO VARSTED: HARMONCA ON HESITATION BLUES AND I’LL BE YOURS
RECORDED AT KOBBERFABRIKKEN IN 2026
PHOTOS: METTE KRAMER
ARTWORK BY THOMAS CRAWFURD
WITH SUPPORT FROM:
DMF, MUSIKFORLÆGGERNE, DANSK ARTISTFORBUND, DANSK KAPELMESTERFORENING
Duo diskography
When They Ring Them Golden Bells (2014)
When Shadows Fall (2018)
Taking The Good With The Bad (2021)
Past Time Shadow (2026)
Contact:
Management: Peter Kehl peter@coperecords.com +45 4096 7666
Booking: Thorbjørn Risager thorbjornrisager@gmail.com +45 22166025
BT ***** Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado er ikke bare Danmarks bedste i bluesrockgenren. Både som komponister, musikere og samlet liveband er de ganske enkelt i verdensklasse. Og både Gary Moore og Muddy Waters vil være stolte af at dele kapitel med Thorbjørn og co, når historien engang skrives.”
Gaffa ***** “Men sandheden er den, at danske Thorbjørn Risager er det tætteste, vi herhjemme kommer en blues singer-songwriter i champions league klassen”
Rootszone ***** ”Mange tidligere udgivelser har denne lige-ved-og-næsten fornemmelse, men Songs from the Road har hele pakken. Eneste minus er at Risager bliver så efterspurgt i udlandet, at vi får svært ved at fange ham og hans sorte tornado på de danske musiksteder!”
Jyllandsposten **** “Risager har fortjent opnået anerkendelse i bl.a. Tyskland, England og USA, og udgivelsen illustrerer, at han kan bide blues-skeer med hvem som helst”
If ever there was ever a case to be made for a European blues band emulating or surpassing their American counterparts, then you need look no further than Denmark’s Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado. Pete Feenstra, Get Ready To Rock (UK)
Risager’s voice is one of the deepest, most intriguing voice of the entire music scene…. Music is a fabulous art and there are very few bands out there, able to sound as good as Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado. A treat for all music lovers. Giovanni ”Gio” Pilato, Bluebird Reviews (US)
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