Altocamet seeks a broader audience with its new album, “Dulce Calor.” (Courtesy of Altocamet)

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – Altocamet, one of the biggest names in pop music in Argentina, will release its seventh album, “Dulce Calor,” next month.

The group from Mar del Pata, which has been backed by the rock icon Gustavo Cerati, has made a huge impact on the South American alternative scene since the release of its debut album “VeladaBristolCasino” in 1998.

In 2009, Altocamet won the Gardel award, the Argentine-version of a Grammy, in the “best electronic music record of the year” category for their album Mitad del Viento. They also performed in Lima, Peru, and Bogotá, Colombia, that year.

Altocamet, formed by Pedro Moscuzza (drums); Adrián “Canu” Valenzuela (vocals, guitar); Mariana Monjeau (keyboard, vocals) and Hernán Rehbein (bass) spoke exclusively with Infosurhoy.com in their private studio in Mar del Plata.

Infosurhoy: What are your expectations for “Dulce Calor”?

Pedro Moscuzza: I think that this record is going to bring us to a much larger audience. This is what we want to happen. In fact, our new songs have that goal. In comparison with previous releases, this record has songs with simpler and more direct lyrics that we hope are going to be very well received by the general public, not only those that already know the band.

Infosurhoy: Who is going to oversee the album’s distribution?

Adrián Valenzuela: The record is going to come out on Casa del Puente, which is an independent label for Argentine electronic, pop and rock artists.

Infosurhoy: You say you want to win over new audiences with “Dulce Calor.” How would you define the existing Altocamet fan base?

Mariana Monjeau: I think that our audience is made up of people who want to investigate the new sounds that are around, and they like songs that are a little more complicated rather than lyrical. We have a very strong connection with our audience. We are not one of those bands that runs to the dressing room and hides at the end of a show. Besides, now they contact us, for example there are people who tell us via Facebook that they have been listening to us for 10 years.

Infosurhoy: How does your band use social media?

Pedro Moscuzza: It is very important for us. Perhaps, it is the most direct form of contact with one’s audience today. They write to you, they get to know you and they let you know that they are your fans. Also, someone can be anywhere and send a greeting ... it’s a way of being in touch with people when it would be impossible to communicate with them by any other means. In this way, the Internet is the best way of communicating everything that you are doing without depending on a multinational chain that would possibly want you to put more commercial music on the air. In fact, we have our records and videos on the Internet on our MySpace and Facebook pages.

Infosurhoy: What is the future of Altocamet?

Hernán Rehbein: Our plans are to expand the band around the world. We hope to go and visit other countries, to take the music as far as possible. Our first objective, after being established in South America, is to access the Mexican market. There is a real possibility of this, as Mexicans are in contact with us, and we hope that this is our next step.

Infosurhoy: How did your band’s relationship with Gustavo Cerati happen?

Mariana Monjeau: We have known Gustavo Cerati for a long time. He produced our Manzana de Metal album in 2001 and even worked on the mixes of the record and did a DJ set at the launch of the record. He supports us a lot and we have great respect for him. Afterwards, Pedro Moscuzza was a regular in Gustavo Cerati’s band on the record and on the tour for Siempre es Hoy. And for all these years, we have been in more or less permanent contact. This is why it seems incredible to us what has happened to him. We hope he gets better because he is a great person and a great musician and, of course, a friend of Altocamet.