I never realised that the stretching of time in dreaming was also built into the music score: Basically, every level of sleep in the film stretches the time – 5 minutes of sleep gives you 1 hour of dreaming time in the first level of sleep (12 dream minutes per 1 real minute). On the second level, one gets 1 hour for every 5 minutes spent in the first dream, which means that 5 minutes in the real world turn into 12 hours at dream level two.

So,  Hans Zimmer used the same slowing down with the Édith Piaf song “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”, the song used as a countdown marker for the team. Pieces of Piaf’s interpretation of the song were stretched, manipulated and woven into Zimmer’s score. The following YouTube video shows how it works:

“You realize that the elements that we’ve extracted from the Piaf song are the way you get from one dream level to the next,” Zimmer says. Simple and yet such a brilliant idea! Great film on many levels – well worth watching.

Here’s a video of Hans Zimmer and Johnny Marr perform live in the Inception premiere:

These guys are not only supertalented but also superheroes: if you wanted to show your support or enjoyment of the album then they ask you to make donations to Burma Campaign or Refuge (the domestic abuse charity).

Since every good album needs at least one Star Wars related tune:

04 Every Death Star Has Its Exhaust Port

Lyrics: EVERY DEATH STAR HAS ITS EXHAUST PORT.
(This song will mean nothing if you haven’t seen, memorised and quoted Star Wars (ep. IV, V, VI) or The Last Starfighter. The word FRAK comes from Battlestar Galactica. I’m saving Quantum Leap for the Q album.)

Are you gonna let them talk to you like that?
Live your life under tyranny…well FRAK THAT!
I ain’t standing for this bubble of shat,
You’re incredible, right? It’s time to be incredible.
They aren’t the dogs with the biggest teeth no more,
You need to use your noddle if you wanna win a war,
This is what rebellion is for,
We’re invincible, right? It’s time to be invincible.
And you can start by singing a song like:

YES THIS BATTLESTATION IS FULLY OPERATIONAL,
JUST REMEMBER THAT KICKING ASS IS AS SIMPLE AS SHOOTING WOMPRATS BACK HOME!
(they’re no bigger than two metres, they’re no bigger than that!)

“Greetings Startfighter you have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier agaist Xur and the Ko-Dan armada,”

A-Team, Airwolf and Street Hawk too,
Taught a little boy what he really had to do,
And that’s to help get the message through,
That you’re incredible, right? It’s time to be incredible.
And now I’m getting a chubby for justice.

YES THIS BATTLESTATION IS FULLY OPERATIONAL,
JUST REMEMBER THAT KICKING ASS IS AS SIMPLE AS SHOOTING WOMPRATS BACK HOME!

There is no try, only do or do not…Karl.
You gotta STAY ON TARGET!
Come on, Kid.
Let’s blow this joint and GO HOME!

MANY BOTHANS DIED TO BRING THIS INFORMATION TO US.
(Ewoks! UNITE!)