Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 | A dance music guide

It may not be a Lollapalooza or a Pitchfork fest, but the annual forward-thinking Tomorrow Never Knows Festival always kicks off a new year of ground-breaking music in the best possible way. This year, more so than any other, TNK has embraced the beat, the dance beat that is. With electronic acts gracing Lincoln Hall, Metro and Smart Bar over the next four days, here's a breakdown of who's coming to town, why they're worth seeing and where to go to check 'em out.

Thursday 12

Tycho + Active Child + Ant'lrd + Abstract Science DJs at Lincoln Hall

If the sunny warmth of San Fran soundscapist Tycho's chill beats don't make you forget about the first tastes of winter we got today, nothing will. The knob twiddler is in the midst of championing his 2011 full length, Dive, a sprawling LP of summery downtempo. He's joined by ex–choir boy Pat Grossi, who fronts Active Child, a chillwave outfit that swirls harp, mellow grooves and Grossi's angelic falsetto into a truly stunning mixture. The left-field instrumental hip-hop duo Ant'lrd and the DJs from WLUW's Abstract Science radio show kick things off.

Friday 13

Moombahton Massacre: Nadastrom + Willy Joy + Team Bayside High + Rampage and Nader at Metro

Mixing reggaeton's booty-shaking rhythms with the sonic intensity of Dutch house and electro, Nadastrom's Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom have hit it big with the invention of moombahton. Monthly, the duo hosts a night dedicated to the fresh music movement in their hometown of D.C., but take it on the road for this Friday the 13th edition with support from hometown electro-house hero Willy Joy, the boys from Debonair's Monday rager Rehab, and Southside staples Rampage and Nader. Read more about the moombahton craze in our interview with Nadastrom from this week.

Craig Richards + Kate Simko at Smart Bar

If you consider yourself a fan of DJs, then you know Fabric, London's premier dance club. Weekly, the three-room venue hosts the club scene's biggest and most progressive—from house to techno to drum 'n' bass to dubstep. The man responsible for locking down most of this talent is Craig Richards, an unparalleled tastemaker who also happens to be a stellar DJ. He's also been a resident of Fabric, spinning underground techno and house there regularly for more than a decade. He shows up in town occasionally and it's always a treat, especially when he's accompanied by Kate Simko, a local minimally inclined techy-house DJ star with international appeal, as he is here.

Saturday 14

Mister Saturday Night + James Friedman + Only Children at Smart Bar

When it comes to cool New York parties that we wish existed in Chicago,  Mister Saturday would be at the top of the heap. Hosted by resident DJs Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin, the underground Brooklyn loft throw-down often features a roving cast of guests from across the indie-dance, disco-house and eclectic dance scene that thrives there. On any given night, you can always expect the unexpected, as the residents and their friends never carve out the same musical path twice. Speaking of their friends, cohort and house DJ James Friedman follows them to town from the East Coast, and our own indie-disco trio, Only Children, gives them a warm welcome.

Sunday 15

Dollar Disco: Plastic Plates

Smart Bar's always-reliable team of disco and discoid house lovers Kid Color, Michael Serafini and Adulture close out the clubby side of TNK with a guest set from Aussie-born, L.A. indie-dance up-and-comer Plastic Plates. With Monday being a holiday, there's really no excuse to not dance away another edition of this festival in style.