Mensen Blaffen was a six-piece band from Aalst, Belgium that excelled at playing postmodern funk and weird rock. Its members were Jan van den Brande (guitar, bass), Mario Segers (bass, synthesizer, percussion), Sylvie Honnay (vocals), Steven Lorie (drums), Ludo Vervliet (bass), Eddy Valk (saxophone), and Pascal Baeyens (guitar, first record). When asked how they would describe their work, the members said, "hardcore-chanson, mixed with ugliness, sweetness and dirty worms in a rotten horse together." The band formed in the early 1980s and participated in the Belgian competition Humo's Rock Rally in 1984, where they reached the finals. Mensen Blaffen's debut self-titled mini-LP, produced by Jo Bogaert (producer of Technotronic's Pump Up the Jam), came out the same year and introduced the band's distinct sound, characterized by a certain playfulness and naiveté, with Dutch lyrics full of sound associations and exclamation marks, Honnay's cooing voice, and funky sax and percussion that recalled Defunkt or Lavvi Ebbel. John Peel took notice of the band and gave them some airtime, and they landed supporting gigs for Virgin Prunes, Blurt, and Anne Clark. For their second release, 1986's D'Un Seul Coup, Mensen Blaffen enlisted Fred A aka Gerry Vergult (Aroma di Amore) as producer. The mini-LP gave space to Honnay's surreal lyrics, sung in French and Dutch, and included such standouts as the swinging "Hippopotame" and the sultry "Kleine Vamp," earning it an enthusiastic review from the venerable Dutch magazine OOR. That same year, the band released Krengen, an EP of rougher and more danceable material. After a slew of performances in Belgium, Holland, Germany, and France, Mensen Blaffen released its sole full-length album, Raven, in 1988. The product of intensive rehearsals, it's a tremendous album full of energizing guitar songs with a dark edge, and features production by Theo van Eenbergen (Nasmak, Rollins Band). Sadly enough, Mensen Blaffen's final statement didn't receive the attention it deserved. Now, after more than 25 years, OnderStroom Records gets Mensen Blaffen's work out there again, in the form of this 80-minute compilation CD. Verzameld Werk collects tracks from Mensen Blaffen (1984), D'Un Seul Coup (1986), Krengen (1986), and Raven (1988), and one track from the 1987 compilation From Behind the Bushes. Includes 8-page booklet. Mastered by Equus. Limited to 500 copies.