Mumbai, April 12: The first Vinyl Pop Up, to be hosted here for music lovers later this month, will offer over 2500 titles, rare box sets and more on sale.

Though cell phones, tablets and music streaming media are becoming the most preferred mediums for music lovers, the youth is also warming to an old music form -- vinyls, which are phonograph disc records.

Recognising that it is the only physical format of music that has consistently seen a rise in demand, global music company Sony Music is set to host a one-day Vinyl Pop Up at The Quarter - Royal Opera House Mumbai on this Record Store Day on April 21.

"The renewed interest in vinyls is very encouraging as vinyl collectors and owners are music buffs and lifelong fans of artistes and music. We are seeing increased interest in India and with The Vinyl Pop Up we are giving the music lovers of Mumbai a rare chance to go through a first of its kind experience," Shridhar Subramaniam, President India and Middle East - Sony Music, told IANS.

"The range is massive with some rare collectibles thrown in. Our plan is to roll out this initiative in a city at a time and we are hoping that young fans discover the charm of listening to vinyls and building a collection," he added.

There will be classic and contemporary titles, ranging from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Pearl Jam, Eagles, The Doors, Santana, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Boney M, A.R. Rahman to Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Jagjit Singh and more.

"We are making many titles available. This will actually be the first time in 30 years that India will see such a huge range of titles available... that is over 2,500 titles. We will also be launching a few exclusive Record Store Day releases," said Subramaniam.

People can also spend their day at the BYOV Session (Bring your Own Vinyl), a DJ Scratching Workshop, Vinyl Listening Sessions, Curated Wine and Dine Experience and vinyl-only sets by DJ Uri and DJ Skip.

But why only in Mumbai?

"We are beginning with Mumbai and will look at other cities as well," Subramaniam said.

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Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.

He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.

"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.

"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.

Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."

He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."

Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.

Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.

"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.

On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.

He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.

"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.

Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.