PONYLOAF
Always epic travellers delving deep into their synthcore forensics. “Brisbane’s frontier commandeers of sonar-sensation enter zero for total gravity” – from their initial EP of 2002 through the O Complexties debut album in 2004, and the Grey Zone EP in 2007… visual artist Daniel Templeman synth sculpting, idiosyncratic synth rabbit SHANE RUDKEN bounding between projects (Regurgitator, Happyland, Emporium, Germ etc), and that relentless barge on drums Ommy Butler. After many years drifting through a cosmos in flux they emerge with RETURN TO ARCADIA Vol. 1.
Always accompanied in tandem with a visual art companion – past releases working with Steve Alexander (whom has created the current crop of photos) – the cover art and visuals for this release is conducted by Sai Karlen.
RETURN TO ARCADIA – VOL 1 is a collection of reworked, unreleased material recorded between 2006 and 2014. Templeman says, “While I was working on a world-building project, I had this idea of creating a soundtrack to tell the story. I started digging through old PONYLOAF tracks and found all these great moods and moments that seemed perfect. I spent 18 months pulling the tracks apart, chopping them up and merging them into a new soundscape. Return to Arcadia is the story of a fabled place where solitude and mystic energy unite around a central figure who builds a fleet of magnificent machines to traverse space in search of her people. The initial project continues to grow, and the story drove all the choices I made along the way to building this album”.
RETURN TO ARCADIA
For millennia, a race of celestial beings known as Guides set about bringing life to the most barren corners of the Universe. Aided by a fleet of magnificent machines known as STAXX, they worked on an atomic level – altering the very nature of nature itself. Wells sprung from barren ground, plants took root, and empty skies filled with fertile air. But, like all those with great power, others sought to take it, and the Guides came under attack.
Fearing for the safety of the young Empress Leela, the Guides opened a rift in space and sent the child to the one place they knew she would be safe – a fabled, eternal planetary system called Arcadia. Her safe passage was ensured by the company of six elite STAXX Warriors.
Arriving on Planet Arcadia, Leela found a Planetary System – a system without a sun. Teeming with life, each of the seven orbiting planets drew its power from a abundance of crystals. Each of the seven orbiting planets orbiting Arcadia, and the eight and most powerful crystal, known as the Origin crystal, was held deep with Arcadia itself.
Over time the Empress grew weary of her solitude and sought to see out other Guides. Together with the Warriors made plans to build a vast fleet of STAXX capable of traversing the farthest reaches of space. Upon each of the planets one Warriors trained their squad. The abilities of each squad were enhanced and influenced by the presence of each planet’s unique crystals.
In order to open a portal in space and launch the fleet, the Empress ordered the STAXX dig deep into the heart of Arcadia and retrieve the Origin crystal. Upon doing so the Empress fell into a deep stasis.
Fueled by crystal-power, the STAXX fleet set off on an epic journey across the hostile and beautiful depths of space, all the while hoping of reuniting their Empress with her people and return to Arcadia.
Ponyloaf ‘RETURN TO ARCADIA – VOL 1’ (Album)
Release Date: Friday 24 October 2025 – DIGITAL ONLY
BANDCAMP: https://consumevalve.bandcamp.com/album/ponyloaf-return-to-arcadia-vol-1
DIGITAL ARRAY: https://ffm.to/returntoarcadia-vol1
SOCIAL BREACH: https://www.instagram.com/ponyloaf/
Ponyloaf are:
Shane Rudken, Daniel Templeman, Ommy Butler
SHANE RUDKEN
A veteran of Brisbane’s alt-music underground, Shane has powered projects like Emporium, Regurgitator (live), Happyland (live), Re:Enactment, Michelle Xen and Neon Wild, Germ, and more. Renowned for performances that veer between synth-drenched chaos and shimmering pop hooks, he is the architect of Ponyloaf’s sonic landscapes—where destruction meets melody.
DANIEL TEMPLEMAN
Internationally acclaimed visual artist, Daniel’s works inhabit galleries and public spaces worldwide. With Ponyloaf, he translates that spatial thinking into sound—sculpting frequencies like material, shaping noise into architecture. His approach pushes the band into an art-driven realm where music becomes installation.
OMMY BUTLER
Known as “The Barge”, Ommy is the relentless engine behind Ponyloaf. A driving force in Brisbane’s early-2000s synth-rock scene, he laid down beats for acts like Plastic Wooden Fruit and Soma Rasa. His percussive power and rhythmic instinct keep the Loaf barrelling through new frontiers—always loud, always necessary.
SAI KARLEN https://saikarlen.com
A visual designer & artist focused on the creation of digital and physical experiences, design systems and brand identities. Work led by research and experimentation to provide unique, straightforward and memorable solutions.
ponyloaf discography
EPIC TRAVELS 2002 https://consumevalve.bandcamp.com/album/ponyloaf-epic-travels
O COMPLEXITIES 2004 https://consumevalve.bandcamp.com/album/ponyloaf-o-complex
THE GREY ZONE 2007 https://consumevalve.bandcamp.com/album/ponyloaf-grey-area
