Mo Shafeek, Label Manager for Mondo Music + Death Waltz Recording Co.

Tell us a little bit about yourself! My name is Mo Shafeek, i'm 33, and I am the record label manager for Mondo. I currently live above a movie theater, and my perfect day is waking up, having some coffee, and walking downstairs to watch a new release. It's hardly a hobby to go the movies, but watching films in the theater is my absolute favorite thing to do. But from that love of movies spawned a love of soundtracks, which led me to my position here at Mondo.

 First album: Green Day - Dookie

Favorite Enjoy The Ride or Enjoy The Toons release: I Am The Avalanche - S/T - Full disclosure, before I worked at Mondo, I used to tour manage bands. I toured with IATA on this first album cycle (even did the photoshop of the gatefold image of Mikey peering awkwardly from behind the tree), so seeing the album get the treatment it deserves was really nice. Plus it's an absolutely stellar record that I cannot recommend more highly. 

Which album do you wish you had on vinyl? (The Artist Formerly Known as...) Prince - The Gold Experience, and Tom Petty's Wildflowers. They are both out there, just mega expensive on Discogs. The Artist one in particular will probably never get re-issued as it's one of his few albums in the 90's not released on a Major, but Wildflowers was re-issued in a Tom Petty Box Set this winter, so hopefully that means some individual releases soon.

Favorite records to spin at parties: 90's Hip-Hop and R&B  (R.Kelly's TP-2.COM, Aliyah - Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out, Salt 'n Pepa - Very Necessary, TLC - Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, etc.) and, well, Prince.

What was your first release with Mondo? I've been around since the first record, but I wasn't involved in the process with the production of first albums (Maniac or The Beyond) I started working on our third The Deadly Spawn, and have produced every single title since then.

Thus far, what have been some of your favorite releases from Mondo? 

The Back To The Future Trilogy

Fight Club

Over The Garden Wall (and the "For Sara" Cassette)

Batman: The Animated Series Box Set

La Cinquette 7-Inch

If you had to choose three albums to listen to for the rest of your life [nothing else], what would you pick?

Prince - Sign O' The Times, 

Smashing Pumpkins - Adore, 

Weezer - Pinkerton.

The Mondo + Death Waltz section of Mo's collection.