( Jan 24, 2016) Probably the most important shop in Oxford for specialist black, dance and urban music during the 90's and early 00's.
Began life in that alley between Gloucester Green and Magdalen St (Friars Entry I think). It was very well presented and neatly organised with racks of records positioned according to style and genre with a long counter with decks facing the door. Flyers everywhere. It was staffed at that time by Alex "Mouly" who had a couple of D&B releases on "Timeless Records", Joanna "Massive" (both these guys had crazy hair) and a very tall guy with pierced eyebrow who was a typical nonchalant and sometimes tempered record shop dude.
They mainly supplied vinyl but also a limited selection of CD's and tape packs. I picked up so much classic material here. Much of my now prized and treasured vinyl was sourced at this venue and I would have been a regular face both during the week and on a Saturday around '94 / '95.
I was digging for mainly Hip Hop and D&B. This is where I picked up all my Legend Records 12"s, V recordings, Moving shadow, Good Looking, Metalheads and loads of classic American import hip hop 12"s. NAS "illmatic", ATCQ "midnight marauders", Biggy Smalls, Domino, Snoop Doggy Dogg, The Pharcyde all on vinyl and mostly still in my possession. They did great job of sourcing and supplying during a golden era for music and vinyl.
They later moved to Gloucester Green in the corner under the arch. Online sales put them out of business at some point around 2006 or 2007 I think. RIP Massive Records. There must be a lot of people with a soft spot for this shop. Comment: digital killaz.
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I used to go to the shop regularly and knew Jo fairly well She was a lovely person and stocked some fantastic tracks I moved away from the area in 2004 and was very sad to hear the shop had closed Wonder what happened to Jo ?
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Soo Woodeson
(2019)
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Remember the place well, used to buy white label trance and house from there. Shame to see it's demise.
Still own a massive records bomber jacket to this day
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Colin Nutley (2020)
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Similar memories. I was more in to the house. one occasion, Jo went out the back and gave me Acid Trax that she'd found from time back. The best shop and lots of top records and memories.
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Andrew Smith
(2021)
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Shopped here for jungle records late 93 to 95. Was here most Saturdays. Bought tracks on labels such as Good Looking, V Recordings, Rude and Deadly and countless white labels and promos. The backbone of my Jungle collection.
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boldi lox
(2021)
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Used to frequent this place in the early nineties for my fix of German Techno and Swedish House. My goodness what an absolute pleasure it was to flick through the racks on a Saturday and leave with a bag full of wax! Happy times. Pretty sure Jo was a Tewkesbury girl and she was so so helpful in sourcing the tunes that I would listen to on Colin Faver's slot on Kiss FM from that week! Was never an issue in getting hold of them! She knew me as Steve, even though not my name!, as she must have associated me with the bloke from the distributor Intergroove that dealt with the Le Petit Prince label which I hounded her for! Anyway wherever you may be Joanna Massive....I salute you. X
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KEVIN MOORE
(2022)
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I was a regular in Massive Records from 1995-1998 whilst living in Oxford for my first job after uni. Dread to think how much I must have spent! At the time I was buying European techno & trance, labels like Noom, Time Unlimited, Harem and so on, and the guy who always used to sort me out had a right ear for exactly what I was looking for. My collection these days is all the richer for this shop.
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Graeme Stoker
(2022)
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