They weren’t from London, Manchester or Liverpool — they were straight out of the Forest of Dean. And in the early 90s, five cheeky lads from Gloucestershire burst onto the music scene with a sound as mad as their baggy shorts.

Within months, their debut record was at the top of the charts in the USA, and they were rubbing shoulders with the big boys of Britpop. But the fame didn’t last - and later the band had to cope with the drug death of their bass player.

Now a new BBC documentary – EMF The Unbelievable Journey – recounts the highs and lows of the band formed in Cinderford.

EMF, short for Epsom Mad Funkers (a nickname for New Order fans), were James Atkin, Derry Brownson, Zac Foley, Mark Decloedt and Ian Dench. They mixed rave beats and samples with indie guitars and a party-hard attitude that put their somewhat sleepy hometown on the global pop map.

In 1990, debut single Unbelievable rocketed into the charts, rising to No. 3 in the UK and No.1 in America, and containing what went on to be voted as one of the best guitar riffs in music history.

“We had a great sound and we could play, and suddenly there we were with a record deal within six months of starting the band,” said Dench.

The band went from the dole queues to Top of the Pops. “It was like a dream come true. I was working in a shop in Gloucester and I just stopped going. I didn’t even tell my employer,” recounts Atkin.

The band’s debut album Schubert Dip was a smash, earning gold discs and a loyal following. Songwriter Dench explained the name, saying: "If ever I'm short of a chord sequence, I just nick one from Schubert."

They had a top three hit pairing up with comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer to sing The Monkees classic ‘I’m a believer’. But the fame rollercoaster slowed: later records didn’t hit as big, and EMF split.

They reformed for a 2001 comeback gig in London and the release of a greatest hits album. Then tragedy struck when bassist Foley died in 2002 aged just 31, from a drugs overdose.

“Zac was my oldest closest friend. Great musician, but never confident in himself. I miss him every day. He was such a character, and he was a lovely, lovely guy. He was a great addition to EMF and we have never been quite the same since he passed away,” said Brownson. Following his death, EMF played just four more gigs in late 2002 before splitting (again).

In the last two decades EMF have reformed and split several more times, playing one-off gigs and festivals, and seeing their archive records repackaged and re-released before embarking on a short UK tour in 2022.

EMF remain cult heroes — without doubt Forest of Dean’s finest export (except perhaps for cider).

:: EMF – The Unbelievable Journey, produced by Steve Knibbs, is on BBC Radio Gloucestershire at 6pm today (Monday August 25) and later on BBC Sounds