It was a strange and Dark Affair, and here’s how. The solution is in this image, about which, more after the clue-explainer video:

This puzzle was a pangram.
A little while ago, for no good reason, I re-listened to three albums I hadn’t played in a while. Enjoying them again inspired me to set this crossword, although I misremembered the title of the song I put in there – putting two extra words from the lyrics in. No crime. The calm expression of not being there was divine.

The 26 24 formed in the 80s, but never quite got the coverage they deserved, and they disbanded in the 90s after their 3rd LP. (Brief reappearances/reinventions as Angora and Tom Patrol followed.) Cleopatra Grip, Jubilee Twist and Vertical Smile all still sound great today. There’s not that much on the web about them these days, but YouTube comments show they’re still missed. I went to their last ever gig in Highbury in… ooh, ’94?…(Ed: not quite, Void!) and it was excellent. (A then little-known Sleeper were supporting. They sparkled too.)

“Make my body disappear. The oscilllation’s getting stronger…”