Ed Barton (by Graham Massey of 808 State):

"ed is currently writing tracks for ministry of sound after having been sampled by them ,He has produced a few accapella albums under the name of HUSH featuring various singers. ED also has a project with happy monday's ex guitarist MARK DAY, that he's been recording in PADDY STEERS studio 808 recorded a track for DON SOLARIS with ED's lyrics but it remains on the shelf. ED has been running a bizarre club night HIP REPLACEMENT, which features any thing from Ukrainians folk groups, life drawing classes, first aid demos pass the parcel (forfeits include balcony jumping and forced nudity) I appeared regularly in his wardrobe orchestra (every musician in separate wardrobes, try playing trombone in a wardrobe!) Id love another copy of BORN IN THE NORTH there is a TV appearance from 89 on GRANADA TV with GERALD ED and MY SELF doing born in the North which did get played at the HACIENDA quite regularly for a joke record. Howard Walsley also has an epic documentary on ED BARTON in the pipeline," 

From the Comme Ca Art website:

"Edward Barton: A rock bard, musician, composer, poet and artist based in Manchester, well known for writing the Opus 3 hit "It‚s a Fine Day" playing a guitar with a wooden spoon on The Tube, 84 (this also debut of one of his paintings), and his performance nights/events "Misery" and "My Eye Hurts". Barton was the first to open a gallery (Oblong) in Manchester's "Afflecks Palace" Because of their Dadaist and often crime-related edge Oblong's shows often get as much coverage in the pages of the tabloids as they did in the art press. Since the closure of Oblong in '92 Barton has been writing a lot of poetry and music. He has become a rather reclusive painter and art maker who only surfaces when pestered. For this show Barton will present a series of paintings he made just before the stroke of midnight on New Year‚s Eve, 1999. For further info on Edward Barton visit: www.edwardbarton.com"

Update:

In the past couple of years, Ed has been writing the lyrics for the Ministry Of Sound band "Lost Witness", having been sampled by them in the song "Fine Night" (when they were known as Dusk Till Dawn).

His most recent work (to the best of my knowledge) has been a solitary single on Ugly Man records entitled "A Little Christmas Eve Thieving".