White Out is a two piece experimental music group from New York that formed in winter 1995, whose aim is to create "an incendiary new music". The bands core members are Tom Surgal and Lin Culbertson, but they often work with other musicians, most notably renowned producer/musician/filmmaker Jim O'Rourke on two albums.

Soon after they formed, the highly charged "freakout" style of the group's early live shows quickly established their reputation as ones to watch. Using a uniquly diverse arsenal of instruments (including analog synthesizers, autoharp, flute, drums, gongs, bells, chains, etc.), they attempted to develop a radically new and fluid sound, and to this end decided on an open-ended invitation to other like minded musicians to join them both live and on record.

The first of their albums, Red Peace, came out in 2000 on Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label. Moore has collaborated with the band in the live arena and been a long-time supporter. Peace was a collaboration with David Nuss, long time member of experimental New York group No-Neck Blues Band. It was described as "son-of-a-Bitches Brew" in a complimentary review in Alternative Press.

Their second album, Drunken Little Mass, came out in the very same year (and on the same label), and featured another renowned collaborator in the shape of Grammy Award winning rock renaissance man Jim O'Rourke. This time their work was described by XLR8R as "an improvised intergalactic escapade into the nether regions of the universe... a universe of chaos, tension and beauty."

2005 saw a move to London based ATP Recordings for a third full length release, China Is Near, their most acclaimed set to date. O'Rourke returned for this release, and was joined by virtuoso percussionist and frequent John Zorn collaborator William Winant. One review stated, "China speaks in an alien tongue that nonetheless conveys wonder and horror in equal measure... any discussion of truly adventurous music today must include White Out", and another "Noise as a genre is a bit too reductive and Improv too paradoxically pedantic to describe what's truly going on here, but aficionados of either of those scenes will find more than enough to love." Pitchfork Media gave it a 7.5 rating and noted the "astonishing variety of percussive textures" whilst also praising the album's "molten, form-shifting splendor."

Other comrades in instrumental arms over the years have included ex-Minuteman Mike Watt, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and current Wilco member Nels Cline, and DJ Olive. White Out has performed at the All Tomorrow's Parties (in America in 2002 and the UK in 2007), CMJ and SKIF II festivals. They were also guests of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and have gigged from coast to coast and in Europe.

The band are set to perform this March at The Stone in their home town of New York (a venue whose musical director is currently John Zorn, with collaborator Thurston Moore.

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Long time collaborators Tom Carter & Marc Orleans have formed a new project, Eleven Twenty-Nine, and signed to Brooklyn's fastest growing indie, Northern-Spy Records for a two-record deal. Taking the name from blues parlance for a year long prison term, their first release is slated for June 14, 2011. Eleven Twenty-Nine lays down a devilish pact of pulsating, impressionistic sound keeping one foot solidly in the soul and depth of blues while the other is planted firmly in an enigmatic free improv rock.

Tom Carter has been a blues-damaged guitarist of extraordinary magnitude and magnanimous extremes. In addition to his solo work and Eleven Twenty-Nine, Carter remains an active co-creator of the Texas homebrew psych pioneers Charalambides and curator of his own label, Wholly-Other.

Free-form psych veteran Marc Orleans has been the secret weapon behind some of the heaviest mumbo jumbo and dusted American cosmic-craziness to come out in the last decade and a half. Marc pioneered his twisted lines with Juneau, Enos Slaughter and the Sunburned Hand of the Man back at the end of the 20th century. Now, residing in Brooklyn, he plays steel guitar ninety hours a week. As well as with Eleven Twenty-Nine, Marc is an active member of the Acid Twangers, D. Charles Speer and the Helix and has appeared on N-Spy's Colin Langenus's latest record as well as Steve Gunn's Borum Palace. He also just finished steel guitar work on Meg Baird's upcoming Drag City release.

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Loren Connors is a talented guitarist who has been recording his unique style of playing for more than a twenty years. During this time he has also recorded under the name Guitar Roberts. Recently Connors has been receiving more recognition, due possibly to his many collaborations with artists such as Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore, Rafael Toral, Ikue Mori and also No Neck Blues Band/Test member Mathew Heyner on In Twilight. Connors' recorded output is impressive, having somewhere in the vicinity of 30 releases on different labels and on various formats.

Connors has released music under a variety of different names through the years:
* Guitar Roberts
* Loren Mazzacane
* Loren MazzaCane Connors
* Loren Connors

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