Bath, England - The Filter, a new media recommendation and discovery service, announced on Tuesday the launch of an invite-only private beta, and the raising of $8.5 million in funding, from backers including musician Peter Gabriel's Real World Group and Eden Ventures. "We believe one of the many joys of the internet would be freedom of choice, but many of us are now drowning in an ocean of options," said Gabriel.

Bath, U.K. - Exabre, the developer of a music recommendation service called The Filter, has received $5 million in new funding, led by musician Peter Gabriel and Eden Ventures, The Independent reported.