If you’re in NYC, you have to try some dumplings and the sesame pancakes here. Everything is made fresh all day, the pancakes are the size of flying saucers, the place is almost always overflowing with a varied cast of New Yorkers in need of tasty and cheap sustenance. My favorite is the sesame pancake with tuna which will set you back a princely $1.75. As a general tip, an excess of shyness is not very helpful if you’re trying to get the harried staff’s attention and, talking of tips, consider donating your change to the staff tip jar (you won’t regret it).

There’s more info in this review and interview with owner Vanessa Duan from The Villager.

Man brandishes pancakes in non-threatening manner:

Making them into monster sesame pancake sandwiches:

Update 1/16/08: The Dumpling House has recently taken over the next door space and adopted a computerized system to take orders. The space is lovely and there’s much more seating, but it’s hard not to miss the crammed, anarchic intimacy of the former incarnation a little bit.

As far as I know, this Clivilles & Cole mix of Chaka Khan’s Clouds was only ever commercially released on the cassette version of the Life is a Dance remix album. It’s a subtle retouch, with the late, lamented David Cole going crazy on keys at the end. It’s really all about that last “Sunny Dayyyyyy.” This was recorded off the cassette so the quality is not great, if anyone out there knows if this was ever available in any other format I’d love to hear about it.

Track info:

Produced by Arif Mardin for Deniz Productions. Remix and additional production by Robert Clivilles and David Cole for Done Properly Productions. Remix engineers: Jim “Bonzai” Lyon, Bruce Miller and David Sussman. Edited by Luis Rivera for Quick Cut Productions at Prime Cuts, NY. Remixed at Quadrasonic, NY.

Chaka Khan - Clouds (Classic Trax Version)

A few pics of this former rap club at 107 Suffolk St on the Lower East Side, now a community arts center (called the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center). I got taken here a couple of times on a visit to NYC around christmastime 1990, the New Year’s Eve line up included Doug Lazy and A Tribe Called Quest. I was thrilled to see De La Soul in the crowd. Smoked a dime bag of weed bought from someone there and, when it came time to leave, couldn’t figure out which wall of the lobby contained the exit door - very smooth!

There isn’t much you can find online about the club, here are the few bits and pieces I dug up:

Rap at the Amazon
By Peter Watrous
Published: October 28, 1988, New York Times

Halloween Voodoo Jam, Hotel Amazon, 107 Suffolk Street (995-2402). This large space - it was used for the dance scene in the recent Jonathan Demme movie ‘’Married to the Mob'’ - is one of the few places in lower Manhattan where rap has been heard with regularity; the club, which is now only open on Saturday nights, has been around almost a year. Tomorrow night will feature a Halloween Voodoo Jam, with some of rap’s bigger attractions and some-to-be stars: the Jungle Brothers will headline and De La Soul and Queen Lateefa will perform. Red Alert, one of rap’s groundbreaking disc jockeys, will serve as host and spin the turntables. The show starts around midnight, and there is a $7 cover.

The Pop Life
By Stephen Holden
Published: November 16, 1988, New York Times

Even as groups like D. J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince have helped to popularize rap music from the suburbs, harder-edged minimalist urban rap continues to flourish. This Saturday night, Wild Pitch Records, an independent New York label that is developing some of the most promising inner-city rap talent, will present three of its new acts - Latee, Gang Starr and Technolo-G - at the Hotel Amazon (107 Suffolk Street), the club on the Lower East Side that has established itself as the CBGB of rap music. Latee, the headliner, is a Jersey City rapper who avoids typically glittery rap-star regalia. His cult hits, ‘’This Cut’s Got Flavor'’ and ‘’No Tricks,'’ produced by D. J. Mark the 45 King, are valued by rap connoisseurs for their extra-hard rhythmic clout. Show time is 11:30 P.M.

Fresh as a Daisy
De La Soul From Three Feet Up
by Mary Huhn
Village Voice, December 21-27, 1988

Hotel Amazon also gets a mention in this well-aimed kick at Michael Alig by Lady Miss Kier, see also her post in the comments section.

Also on the wall of the building now, another cool art piece:

Available as part of the re-release of Strictly Rhythm back catalogue on Beatport (search for Code 718), this is a beautiful slice of hallucinatory house music. The track is propelled by an E2:E4-inspired riff, Peter Daou provides piano and a female voice dreamily interjects “I float in the clouds.” I’m not a huge Danny Tenaglia fan but this is one of his early works and it’s flawless.

These are tracklists for most of the Sound Factory tapes on the main Scientitian webpage. Several people on the Junior Vasquez board helped out a lot, particularly HouseMuzikLvr. Noel on the oldskoolanthemz board also posted comprehensive tracklists for the tapes. There are still some guesses and missing IDs, please drop me a note or post a comment if you know them and I’ll update the lists.

Edit 1/2/08: Thanks to members of the DJHistory, tune ID & Discogs boards for additional IDs, and Colin & el bucko from the Southport Weekender board for solving the persistent mystery of the Black Cuban Opera track on the Junior tape from 3/15/92.

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory, August 4, 1991 Tape 1

Side A
Adonte - Feel It
One Way Feat. Al Hudson - Music
Rare Earth - Happy Song Or Dance (Edit)
Virgo - Mechanically Replayed
Sandee - Love Desire
Fingers Inc. - Never No More Lonely
Sounds Of Blackness - The Pressure
Brainstorm - Lovin’ Is Really My Game (at -8)
Sounds Of Blackness - The Pressure pt2 (version)
Willie Hutch - Brothers Gonna Work it Out (intro)
Sounds Of Blackness - The Pressure

Side B
Sounds Of Blackness - The Pressure
Two Tons Of Fun - Just Us
Linda Clifford - Runaway Love
Richard Rogers - Can’t Stop Loving You
Keytronics Ensemble - You X Me
Driza Bone - Real Love
Shay Jones - Are You Gonna Be There (Hurley’s House Mix)
Womack & Womack - Baby I’m Scared Of You
Diana Ross - It’s My House

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory, August 4, 1991 Tape 2

Side A
Sounds Of Blackness - The Pressure
Soft House Company - What You Need
Susan Clark - Deeper
Mike Hitman Wilson ft. Shawn Christopher - Another Sleepless Night (Redzone Mix)
Basscut – I’m Not In Love (Satoshi Tomie Dub 1)
Shirley Murdock - Let There Be Love (Frankie Knuckles Remixes)
Driza Bone - Real Love
Karyn White - Romantic
Sounds Of Blackness - Optimistic

Side B
Sounds Of Blackness - Optimistic
Robert Owens – I’ll Be Your Friend (Original Def Mix)
DSK - What Would We Do (Hurley’s Dub Mix)
Debbie Gibson - One Step Ahead (Masters At Work Underground Mix)
Loop 7 - The Theme
Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song
Mello House - The Flower
Trilogy - Love Me Forever or Leave Me Not (C&C Dub Of Doom Mix)
Willie Colon - Set Fire To Me
Black Ivory - Mainline

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory, August 1991

Side A
Ceybil Jefferies - Open Your Heart/Earth People - Dance
Gypsymen - Daylite
Robert Owens – I’ll Be Your Friend (Def Mix)
Roberta Flack - Uh Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Steve Silk Hurley Mix)
Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
Corporation of One - So Where Are You
Sound Waves - Gotta Have You (UK Dub)
Three Generations - Get it off
A Bitch Called Joanna - Long Distance
Fast Eddie - Let’s Go (Don’t U Want Some More)

Side B
Fast Eddie - Let’s Go (Don’t U Want Some More)
Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song
Crystal Waters - Makin’ Happy
Colonel Abrahams - Music Is The Answer
Willie Colon - Set Fire To Me (Inferno Dub, Latin Jazzbo Mix)
Helen Bruner - Gimme Real Love
Mixmasters - In The Mix
Helen Bruner - Gimme Real Love
Adonte - Feel It
Madonna - Keep it Together

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory, 1991

Side A
Richard Rogers – Can’t Stop Loving You
Sounds of Blackness - Optimistic
Shay Jones - Are You Gonna Be There?
Clive Griffin – I’ll Be Waiting
Sabrina Johnston - Peace in the Valley
Tikkle - Outer Limits
Alexander O’Neal - What is this Thing Called Love? (Dee Red Zone Mix)
Sound Waves - Gotta Have You (UK Dub)
Jomanda - Got A Love For You

Side B
Debbie Gibson - One Step Ahead (Masters At Work Underground Mix)
Safire - Taste The Bass (Red Zone Dub Mix)
Robert Owens – I’ll Be Your Friend
C+C Music Factory - Things That Make You Go Hmmm (C&C Classic House Mix)
Georgie Porgie - Let the Music Pump U Up
Pizarro - Suelta Me
Mass Order - Lift Every Voice
Royal House - Party People
Gypsymen - Daylite
DSK - What Would We Do (Hurley’s Dub Mix)
Ten City - Superficial People
Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory Bar 1992 Part 1

Side A
Lil Louis - Club Lonely (LP version)
Lil Louis - New Dance Beat
Tyrrel Corporation - Going Home (Scatt Mix)
Inner City - Pennies From Heaven
Juliet Roberts - Caught In The Middle (instrumental)
Ten City - Only Time Will Tell
???
Earth People - Dance
Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song

Side B
Soul II Soul - Back to Life (MAW Mix?)
Helen Bruner - Gimme Real Love
The Daou - Surrender Yourself
Desree - Feel So High (Def Mix)
Ten City - My Peace Of Heaven
Clive Griffin – I’ll Be Waiting
Nu Shooz - Time Will Tell

Frankie Knuckles @ Sound Factory Bar 1992 Part 2

Side A
Nu Shooz - Time Will Tell
Deee Lite - Pussycat
The Daou - Surrender Yourself
Black Sheep - Strobelight Honey (Def Version)
Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free (CJ Vinyl Dub)
Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free (Def Version)
??? - “ooh yeah”
Frankie Knuckles feat. Lisa Michaels - Rainfalls

Side B
Frankie Knuckles feat. Lisa Michaels - Rainfalls
MK - Burning
Ten City - My Peace of Heaven
Fourth Measure Men - 4 You (Separate Minds mix)
US 2 - Bang the Drums (Wam Bang Mix)
Soul II Soul - Move Me No Mountain (Dum Dum Dub)
Lisa Stansfield - Set Your Loving Free
Tito Puente - Para Los Rumberos (Puente’s Vibe Mix)
???

Junior Vasquez @ Sound Factory, January 5, 1992

Side A
Chic - Chic Mystique
Degrees of Motion - Do You Want it Right Now (x2)
Tafuri - You Know How to Love Me (x2)
Evelyn Champagne King - I Dont Know if its Right (x2)
Lace - Cant Play Around
Jean Carne - Was that All it Was
Gayle Adams - Your Love is a Lifesaver

Side B
Gayle Adams - Your Love is a Lifesaver
Diana Ross - The Boss
Fast Eddie - Lets Go (Don’t U Want Some More)
Ellis D - Dub Break
Jose & Luis - Queens English (unknown dub)
St. Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (MAW Dub)
What It Is - Do You Believe
Brian Keith - Running In and Out of My Life
DSK - What Would We Do (Farley & Heller Eight Minutes Of Madness Mix)

Junior Vasquez @ Sound Factory, March 15, 1992

Side A
SGH - Losing You
Susan Clark - Deeper
Susan Clark - Deeper (Underground Diva Mix)
Kamar - In Every Way (2 diff mixes)
The Project feat Linda Rice - Out of Control (Warehouse Saturday Nite Mix) (x3)
Debbie Gibson - One Step Ahead (Masters At Work Underground Mix)/Unknown similar track
Urbanized - Helpless
Black Cuban Opera - Driftin’

Side B
Black Cuban Opera - Driftin’
KC Flightt - Voices
Colonel Abrahams - Music is The Answer
No Smoke - Koro Koro
Cultural Vibe - Ma Foom Bey
KC Flightt - Voices (Original Dub Mix) \ George Krantz Din Da Da
Thompson Twins - The Saint (8th Street Dub)\Grace Jones Love on Top of Love accapella
Todd Terry – Don’t Get Carried Away
DSK - What Would We Do (Farley & Heller Eight Minutes Of Madness Mix)
Todd Terry - When You Hold Me
Gypsymen - Hear the Music (w/Sound Factory siren dropped over it)
2 Body’s - Body Drill

Robert Owens - New York City #1

Side A
Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me
Harriet – Temple of Love (Tuff Stuff)
Deee Lite – How Do You Say Love? (Pal Joey Mix)
? Better Days – Love is the Message (guess)
Fierce Ruling Diva - I Don’t Wanna Be a Freak
Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings Of Life
Espresso – Ping Pong
Robert Owens - ?/ - we’ve got a love (First Choice sample)
- you bring me joy (Anita Baker sample)
Those Guys – Tonite/Grace Jones – Love on Top of Love (A Cappella)

Side B
Those Guys – Tonite/Grace Jones – Love on Top of Love (A Cappella)
? dance to the drums
? let’s rock
? the more I get the more I want
? I can’t get enough
?
Ultra Nate – Scandal
L.U.P.O. featuring Cathy Adams - Keep It Up!
The Charlie Calello Orchestra – Sing, Sing, Sing
Ellis D – Work this Pussy (Chant for Pussy Mix)
Willie Hutch – Brother’s Gonna Work it Out
?

Robert Owens - New York City #2

Side A
Tyree – Move Your Body
KC Flightt – Planet E
Precious – Definition of Track/Petria - I Miss Your Love (A Cappella)
28th St Crew – I Need a Rhythm
? in the garden
Todd Terry Project – Back to the Beat
?
LNR – Work it to The Bone
?

Side B
Ecstasy – This is My House
Fingers Inc. – Can You Feel it?
Ellis D – Just Like a Queen
?
?
Dopestyle - I’ll Bass You
?

Offsite Mixes

Junior Vasquez (& David Morales?) @ Sound Factory, 1993

Side A
Sound of One – As I Am (Junior Style dub)
CeCe Peniston – Finally
? – Arabic electronic track
Basscut – I’m Not In Love
Deep Forest – Sweet Lullaby (mix?)
Gypsymen – Hear the Music
The West Tribe - Hold Me Back
Moraes – The Cure
Martha Wash – Carry On (various mixes)
Judy Cheeks – So in Love (Real Deal) (Frankie Foncett mix)
Tyronne Summers – All Because of You

Side B
Shay Jones – Inside Out (E-Smoove’s Funk Revival)
Edward’s World – Soul Roots
Chez-N Trent - The Choice
Incognito – Giving it Up
Smooth Touch - Come and Take a Trip/Harddrive – Deep Inside (snippet)
??? “I said”
??? “don’t slow me down”
Doomsday – Atom Bomb (snippet)
Patra – Worker Man (Phat & Insane Mix)
Doomsday – Atom Bomb
??? “keep on pushing”
Sounds of Blackness – I Believe (acappella & various mixes)