We arrive in Italy, and rather than diving into a fandom, we dive into a history lesson on Italy, Progressive Rock, and its liberating love child, Rock Progressivo Italiano (RPI)! What is it? How is it different than prog rock in general? Why is its own subgenre? Some of these, an more, on this week's episode!
Next week, we'll be travelling to Turkey to talk about fans of that delicious dark beverage, coffee!
## Episode outline
### Fandom Facts
**Origins:**
Progressive Rock (prog rock) is a subgenre of rock music developed in the UK and US throughout the mid to late 1960s (initially termed progressive pop). It is based on a fusion of styles and is an outgrowth of psychedelic bands who moved away from pop tradition in favour of different instrumentation an compositional techniques more often found in jazz, folk, or classical music.
Rock Progressivo Italiano (RPI) is a subgenre within a subgenre. Italy was generally uninterested in rock music _until_ the early 1970s when the italian prog rock scene developed.
RPI is notable as it tends to emphasize the classical rather than rock elements of the music, often including some operatic influences.
**Most Active:**
The fandom was definitely more active towards the inception of the subgenre. In terms of [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=Rock%20Progressivo%20Italiano,Prog%20Rock) data, search interest is quite low (with the most interest taking place in July 2004). Interest in RPI is also significantly less than prog rock (which is not in decline by comparison; interest in prog rock is mostly flat).
There is not enough data to determine any particular regionalism, but one might expect that it is popular in... Italy.
**Related fandoms:**
Prog Rock.
### [Last Episode's](http://fanthropological.com/e/38-arsene-lupin-fans/) Famous Last Words
**Z:** Are all of the prog rock bands in Italy fans of each other?
**G:** How much of Italian prog rock is taken from British prog rock? How much is taken from Italian music?
**T:** Who is the RPI equivalent to Phil Collins?
### This week's spotlight
**[The Race Against Time](http://raceagainsttime.io)**
Now in its third year of running, the Race Against Time is the Nickscast's annual charity livestream where we work our way though Chrono Trigger, obtaining all its endings, and also raising money for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Last year we raised over $1200 CAD, and have plans to surpass that!
This year, the event will be held August 12 through to August 13, starting at 10am ET. You can also subscribe on [Twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime](https://www.twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime) in anticipation of the event!
[// Plugs go here ]: #
### Famous Last Words
This week's famous last words around *next week's* fandom. We'll be talking about fans of coffee as we take our fandom cavalcade to Turkey!
**Z**
Who was it that first called it Turkish Coffee? Were they Turkish or Greek (as the two are made in the same way)?
**G**
There is a ceremony / celebration of Turkish culture that involves coffee.
**T**
What are coffee fan fanactivites? ...In Turkey?
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